Trade union leaders and industry representatives gathered in Smederevo on 23 April for a seminar on decarbonisation and workers’ rights in the cement and construction industries. Organised by the Construction and Building Materials Industry Workers’ Union ahead of this year’s International Workers’ Memorial Day, the event focused on “Decent Work and Just Transition in the Building Materials Industry.” Participants also discussed the conclusions of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the results of the recent BWI Eurasian Seminar in Chișinău. BWI and ACV BIE Belgium supported the event.

One of the main topics was the decarbonisation of the cement industry and the European Union’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM). Sreten Obrenović of the Moravacem cement plant, part of the CHR Group, explained efforts to reduce carbon emissions through new technology, better energy efficiency, and alternative fuels. Union representatives said these changes would affect jobs, skills, and work organisation, and called for stronger social dialogue and the inclusion of just transition measures in national laws and collective agreements.

The seminar also focused on occupational safety and health, especially for outdoor workers exposed to extreme heat. Participants received training on heat-stress prevention and discussed global measures to protect workers in high-temperature conditions. Union representatives highlighted recent amendments to Serbia’s Occupational Safety and Health Law that now require employers to introduce preventive measures for outdoor work during extreme heat and cold. They also proposed creating a national trade union coordinator for occupational safety and health and safety committees in companies with more than 50 workers.

Participants also raised concerns about Serbia’s proposed Law on Work Practice, which would introduce interns as a new category of workers in the construction sector. Under the draft law, interns could work full-time for up to six months without formal employment status or sick leave benefits. Trade union representatives warned that the measure could weaken worker protection and create new safety risks in the construction industry. The seminar concluded with calls for continued social dialogue to protect workers’ rights and ensure a fair transition in the sector.