The Administration and Judiciary Union has declared plans to protest in front of the Government on March 6th.

They have previously sent a letter to the executive branch urging the commencement of negotiations to address their demands, which include initiating apartment construction, increasing coefficients, the immediate dismissal of Minister of Labor, Employment and Social Dialogue Naida Nišić due to alleged illegal and unprofessional conduct, and the establishment of a seven-hour workday.

At a press conference, the President of the Trade Union of Administration and Judiciary, Nenad Vučković, mentioned that on February 7th, they communicated the Trade Union Assembly’s decision to the Government concerning the fulfillment of seven key demands, emphasizing that protests would ensue should negotiations not commence by February 20th—this deadline has now lapsed.

“The initial protest will take place in front of the Government building on Thursday, March 6th at 15:30 PM. Should there be no favorable response, a subsequent protest is scheduled for the same location on Monday, March 17th at 15:30 PM. Details regarding future protests will be disclosed to the public until all demands are fulfilled,” Vučković stated, as reported by PR Centar.

He elaborated that their demands include the urgent signing of the agreed Annex to the Agreement of the Housing Cooperative “Odgovornost,” the establishment of its governing bodies, and commencing operations, allowing employees to address housing issues throughout Montenegro. They also seek negotiations on amendments to the Branch Collective Agreement with the goal of increasing job complexity coefficients by 10 percent in 2024, plus an additional 10 percent this year.

“We insist on the withdrawal of the Proposal for the Law on Salaries, the Law on Civil Servants and State Employees, and the Law on Local Servants and Officials, alongside requiring mandatory participation of all representatives from branch unions in the working group for drafting the Law on the Representativeness of Trade Unions and Employers’ Associations, as well as the Law on Strikes. Additionally, we demand the adoption of resolutions previously agreed upon during all working groups. We expect amendments to the Law on Internal Trade and the Law on Consumer Protection to regulate market margins and safeguard the economic stability of citizens,” Vučković articulated.

Among their requirements is a revision of the Law on Strikes to guarantee workers in Montenegro the right to strike, a right currently denied by existing legislation.

“We demand the dismissal of Minister Naida Nišić due to illegal activities and numerous irregularities in her work. Additionally, we advocate for the introduction of a seven-hour workday, aligning with contemporary labor standards and employee rights protection, as publicly promised,” Vučković emphasized.

He also invited all public administration and judiciary employees who feel they deserve improved material conditions to join the protests.

“Our issues resonate with all workers in Montenegro; everyone is welcome to protest, as supporting our cause is essentially a fight for their rights and families,” Vučković asserted.

Edin Mušović, the Vice President of the Administration and Judiciary Union, reminded that in 2023, an agreement was reached with the government regarding the establishment of the Housing Cooperative “Odgovornost,” along with a Financing Agreement.

“However, with the change in government, the new cabinet under Prime Minister Milojko Spajić has halted the entire process concerning the formation of this cooperative. The Ministry of Finance and the Government of Montenegro have disregarded all our requests and the submission of a necessary contract Annex to adhere to legal processes,” Mušović stated.

He explained that this model would, by contractual obligation, enable all public administration and judiciary employees nationwide to address their housing needs.

Mušović pointed out that the Government has overlooked the Sectoral Collective Agreement pertinent to administration and justice, which called for coefficient increases of 10 percent for 2024 and 2025. He noted that similar provisions leading to increased coefficients were implemented for education sector employees.

“Protests were undertaken last year due to the failure to respect the Branch Collective Agreement’s provisions. The government was required to negotiate further increases with union representatives. Each time we requested meetings with the relevant minister or the prime minister, our requests were dismissed,” Mušović remarked.

He believes amendments to the Consumer Protection Law and the Internal Trade Law should create better conditions for citizens.

“We propose that these amendments aim to regulate the limitations on margins imposed by large retail chains, rather than relying on government projects concerning pricing limitations where large chains are permitted to set their product prices, ostensibly under restrictions on B-class products,” Mušović clarified.

President of the Administration and Judiciary Union, Nenad Rakočević, explained that the demand to withdraw the draft legislation on public sector employee salaries, the Civil Servants and State Employees Law, as well as the Local Servants and Officials Law is based on the “non-transparent relationship and unilateral decisions” of government representatives regarding working groups and binding social dialogue.

“We insist that representatives from all unions, notably the Union of Administration and Judiciary, be involved in working groups and the formulation of the draft Law on Strikes and the Law concerning the Representativeness of Trade Unions and Employers’ Associations,” Rakočević stated.

He asserted that the salary law was conceived without accepting a single proposal from union representatives.

“Certain titles that do not exist have been introduced alongside coefficients, raising questions about the expertise and quality of these proposals. The Civil Servants and State Employees Law allows political and party interests to take precedence over quality work within state administration. The suggestion that senior management and expert positions be limited to a bachelor’s degree or sixth-level education illustrates the influence of political and party interests over public interest,” Rakočević commented.

He highlighted their demand for the immediate removal of Minister Nišić, arguing that she has jeopardized the credibility of the government through her “illegal, unprofessional, and detrimental actions.” “This is one fundamental reason why we request Prime Minister Spajić to dismiss Minister Naida Nišić, especially given that the Prime Minister has publicly declared that misperforming ministers will be relieved of their duties,” Rakočević remarked.

Rakočević accused Minister Nišić of unlawfully shielding perpetrators of criminal acts, including protecting the Trade Union Confederation and its senior representatives involved in signature forgery and submitting fraudulent documentation. He expressed concern about her potential complicity in protecting unidentified individuals within the Ministry who engaged in these activities, alongside enablers of various illegal decisions. He criticized her failure to grant access to information promptly and accused her of violating Montenegrin laws.

“Nišić’s proposal to the Government included appointing someone delegated by the Trade Union Confederation to the Employment Agency’s Board of Directors, despite that person being unemployed and ineligible as a union member. That individual was previously terminated for illegal employment during the preceding government. It is absurd that an individual involved in illicit activities is now tasked with addressing employment legality,” Rakočević pointed out.

He further accused Nišić of not addressing the dismissal and reappointment of four acting senior management representatives from the Ministry and of allowing these unemployed individuals to make decisions and receive compensation despite their mandates having expired.

“Minister Nišić has misused an official vehicle and driver for personal trips abroad and appointed close associates to key management positions in the ministry, exemplifying classic nepotism that undermines the quality of state administration. The Minister of Social Dialogue is consciously evading engagement with our large trade union, which is fundamental to her role,” Rakočević criticized.

He believes that public administration and judiciary, being key sectors, incur significant expenses and must not be stigmatized as such in public discourse, as they are essential for the state’s functioning and existence.

“The government exhibits a clear pattern of legal and overall discontinuity and discrimination towards the 23,000 employees in public administration and judiciary, failing to demonstrate any empathy or willingness to improve the status and conditions of this vulnerable worker demographic in Montenegro. On average, our salaries stand at 20 euros for employees with secondary education and 620 years of experience, and 830 euros for those with higher education. Notably, a new employee with mere primary education and one month of experience earns 600 euros,” he explained.

“Conversely, the government has, rightfully or not, increased salaries for educational staff, which surpass our earnings by at least 150 euros. Moreover, workers in the Montenegrin Parliament, classified similarly to us as civil servants and state employees, have coefficients resulting in higher salaries by at least 200 euros. Additionally, military personnel will soon see salary increases, and healthcare workers with equivalent educational backgrounds to our employees have long received substantially higher compensation,” Rakočević criticized.

“The government’s discussion of optimizing and potentially dismissing 20 percent of public sector employees appears to be a sensationalized and unfounded media narrative. We advocate for meritocracy and equitable treatment concerning inflation, educational quality, and adherence to legal statutes,” he concluded.

Rakočević asserted that trade unions must remain politically independent but cannot remain silent while political decisions jeopardize workers’ standards and rights.

“We reject partisan agendas and demand impactful social projects that would advance the standards and rights of all workers and citizens of Montenegro,” he declared.

He questioned the government’s motives in obstructing the formation and operation of the Housing Cooperative Odgovornost, stipulating that this cooperative could resolve housing and business space needs for the government, while suspecting that narrow party interests may threaten this initiative, specifically regarding the Velje Brdo project.

“We are disinterested in the viability of Velje Brdo; we demand compliance with the signed agreements which the government must cease ignoring. The next steps will likely lead to procedural accountability for those responsible for dampening the formation of the Housing Cooperative,” he affirmed.

Milan Ilibašić, Vice President of the Administration and Judiciary Union, remarked that the Strike Act has remained unamended since 2015.

“Coming from a union background, I recall that when this law was ratified, we aimed to organize a strike but found ourselves hindered as only two out of 500 employees could legally strike, indicating significant flaws in the current legislation,” Ilibašić noted.

He clarified that decisions to strike are not taken lightly by trade unions and are typically last-resort measures, yet “should circumstances necessitate a strike, we wish to have that option available and be able to exercise that right.”

“Under the currently active law, our situation effectively prevents us from striking, as we would immediately be outvoted,” Ilibašić explained.

Milena Đuričić, Vice President of the Trade Union Assembly, insisted on implementing a seven-hour workday to optimize and rationalize the use of human and technical resources in public administration and the judiciary, potentially resulting in financial savings.

“Prime Minister Milojko Spajić publicly pledged to implement a seven-hour workday during the election campaign, asserting its easy feasibility, yet to date, that promise remains unfulfilled,” Đuričić pointed out.

She criticized the government, led by Prime Minister Spajić, for failing to act as a consistent and reliable social partner to the Union of Administration and Judiciary, which encompasses around 10,000 members representing the entire state administration and judiciary.

“Our Union’s involvement in decision-making regarding crucial legislation and legal solutions that could enhance the quality and integrity of state administration is entirely excluded. The government’s stance undermines the overall quality of Montenegro’s state administration and judiciary, which has garnered positive acknowledgment from the European Union, unlike other sectors such as healthcare and education, despite salary increases for those fields,” she concluded.

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