CONFEDERATION OF AUTONOMOUS TRADE UNIONS OF SERBIA Confederation of Autonomous Trade Unions of Serbia is a trade union organization with the longest tradition in Serbia. It was born on March 9 1903 by a decision of various professional and local organizations (created in the second half of the 19th century), to associate and establish, for the first time in Serbian history, one trade union confederation - the Workers’ Confederation of Serbia. Federations of workers in the branches of construction, metal manufacturing, commerce and printing as well as Workers Society of Belgrade participated in its creation. In the period after the revolution Confederation was made part of the new social system in which it had not possibility to act autonomously. Still it took part in the process of self – management which for many years attracted the attention of foreign observers as an original form of socialism. Today, The Confederation is composed of 29 professional federations and 106 local confederations, covering all professions and the whole Serbia. According to the latest data based on application cards, it has about 480 000 members (80% of them paying regularly their membership fees). Membership in the organization is voluntary.