Serb workers end Danube blockade, navigation resumes

BELGRADE, Oct 2 (Reuters) - Workers at a Serbian shippingcompany on Tuesday ended their blockade of the Danube river, oneof Europe's main waterways, which started last week in protestover wage arrears.

The blockade made of ships and barges forced the authoritiesto halt navigation in the area about 70 kilometres (50 miles)north of the capital Belgrade and disrupted supplies ofEuro-diesel fuel for the country's market.

Port authorities in the northern city of Novi Sad said onTuesday that navigation along the Danube may resume. The Danubeconnects Western Europe with the Black Sea and is vital foreconomies of Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia,Serbia and Romania, through which it flows.

Novica Cvetkovic, a ship captain and a union activist, saidthe management of the Dunav Agregati shipping company andgovernment representatives had agreed to pay immediately fouroverdue wages to workers.

"The remainder of two (overdue) wages will be paid byNovember," Cvetkovic said. "We will continue discussions aboutpayments of health and pension benefits," he said.

This is the second Danube blockade staged by workers of theDunav Agregati this year. In April, they also halted navigationalong the Danube over unpaid wages and benefits.

The Socialist-led Serbian government has been unable to calmrising social discontent caused by an economic downturn andausterity measures, although it came to power in July onpopulist pledges to boost employment and spending to spurgrowth.

(Reporting by Aleksandar Vasovic; editing by ZoranRadosavljevic and Keiron Henderson)

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Keywords: SERBIA DANUBE/BLOCKADE