Black and White is the name of our public campaign from 2012 to 2014, during which we advocated for the reduction of informal labor and greater and more efficient protection of labor rights in Serbia. We led the campaign on the streets of cities and in the media, empowered civil associations, established cooperation with social partners, and the campaign logo could be seen on street banners, buses, and at train stations… We wanted to send a message to citizens that labor rights are acquired rights, not belonging to a past regime, and that today we must preserve them.

For over 10 years, Black and White has been an important presence on social media, where good practices were exchanged, discrimination was pointed out, and violations of rights were highlighted.

Today, we use the Black and White brand as a trademark for projects advocating for the improvement of labor rights.

Since 2007, the Center has been dedicated to the promotion and protection of economic, social, and cultural rights. It was immediately recognized that the problems in this area most often arise in what is now called the “world of work” – high unemployment, informal labor, working poverty, discrimination at work. The flexibilization of the labor market, fragmentation of labor legislation, delays in adopting the new Labor Law, weak social dialogue, informal labor, the use of the minimum wage as a regular contractual compensation, abuse of temporary and occasional work, the introduction of verbal contracts for seasonal jobs, and intentions to expand seasonal work to different sectors – all these are common practices that place workers in a disadvantaged position and create conditions for deepening and spreading poverty.

Today, we face the emigration of qualified labor to foreign countries, either permanently or seasonally, an aging population, and the influx of foreign workers whose human and labor rights are often violated.

The gap between high-profit and low-profit sectors, as well as between rural and urban areas, is growing. Vulnerable groups, including especially women, youth, Roma, and the elderly, face serious challenges in finding employment that meets the conditions for decent work. The gender gap is widening, and the practice of unequal pay is expanding.

Foundation Today:

• Since 2014, the Foundation has coordinated the work of the Working Group for Negotiation Chapters 2 (freedom of movement for workers) and 19 (social policy and employment).
• It publishes an annual report on the state of labor rights in Serbia.
• It advocates for the need for a new Labor Law and a new Strike Law.
• It collaborates with social partners.
• It promotes the protection of labor rights in business through a human rights-based approach.
• It encourages and strengthens citizen associations to focus on the protection of social rights.