Serbs protest against labour law

Several thousand people across Serbia have taken part in demonstrations against a draft labour law that would freeze pay in state-owned companies.

In the capital, Belgrade, up to 5,000 people attended a rally at the main government building.

Demonstrations have also been organised in other cities.

They are part of a general strike called by the Association of Serbian Trade Unions.

It wants the government to withdraw the law proposal from parliament.

Correspondents say the government is trying to reform the Serbian economy, still largely unchanged since communist times, but the unions feels the authorities are moving too fast.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service