(31 Jan 1997) Eng/Serbo-Croat/Nat
Thousands of teachers in Serbia have again come out on strike in protest at unpaid wages and low salaries.
Their walkout is part of a growing tide of anti-government unrest in Serbia.
The teachers took to the streets of Belgrade on Friday, where students also continued their anti-government protests.
Teachers across Serbia have again left their classrooms and walked out on strike.
In Belgrade, they marched in their thousands, demanding back pay and wage rises.
Teachers find it hard enough to scrape a living on a monthly salary of around 150 dollars (U-S) -- but now many haven't been paid for three months.
SOUNDBITE: (English)
"We haven't been paid regularly for years, but now we can't survive. This is now a matter of existence. Some say that we are wrong to disregard our pupils, but what about our children? We are parents too."
SUPER CAPTION: Olga Blaguyevich, teacher
The strike has close 600 schools across the country, including almost all the 200 schools in Belgrade.
Only schoolchildren who found they had an unexpected day off were celebrating.
SOUNDBITE: (Serbo-Croat)
"We aren't going to school because the teachers aren't getting paid and that's why they are striking. We've been waiting for this for ages! Yeah! Strike, strike strike!"
SUPER CAPTION: Schoolboy
Students in Belgrade also continued their protest marches.
Traffic came to a standstill as the students streamed past.
Their numbers were swelled by some 15-hundred lawyers who turned out to add their support to the students' protest.
The lawyers are increasingly frustrated at the way the courts have become involved in denying the opposition victories in local elections.
SOUNDBITE: (English)
"We are also seeking the resignation of the Minster of Justice because the courts are in a way guilty of all this mess with the results of the elections. We will be on general strike until this demand is met by the government and Justice Ministry."
SUPER CAPTION: Nikola Barovic, Belgrade lawyer
With the opposition parties reacting cautiously to suggestions that Milosevic is willing to recognise the disputed election results, the protests look set to continue.
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