Yugo Zastava workers ' protest enters 2nd week .
BELGRADE 1996-08-26
Thousands of workers of Serbia 's Zastava arms factory entered the second week of protests on Monday over unpaid wages and the lack of a programme to revive the plant 's production .
" We are stubborn , have strength and time to persist until our demands are met , " said the factory 's trade union secretary Dragutin Stanojlovic .
" We are united and we are waiting for the government to decide what to do with us . "
Trade unions demanded payment of June and July wages and last year 's holiday pay , and called on government to develop a revival programme for the plant .
The former Yugoslav national army consumed 90 percent of Zastava 's pre-war output , but like the rest of Yugoslavia 's economy , the new army of Serbia and Montenegro is crippled by lack of funds .
In Kragujevac where the plant is based , 9,000 to 10,000 people gathered in the central square to express their bitterness at what Stanojlovic called government indifference .
The ruling Socialist Party last week accused Serbia 's opposition of stirring up social unrest and using workers ' already difficult social position for their own interests .
" Late wages , no work and ( the lack of a ) production programme are the main reasons for their protests , " a senior member of the local Socialist Party branch told Reuters .
" But there is a significant influence of opposition parties that are collecting points ahead of coming elections . "
Federal Yugoslav elections are due on November 3 .
The party official said the union 's figure on the number of protesters was exaggerated . "
There were about 1,400 to 1,600 people at the protest today -- much less then last week .
" But there were more observers and passers by , " he said .
-- Gordana Kukic , Belgrade Newsroom +381 11 222 4254