In response to the article “Dismissal due to strike or unpaid pension,” Jugoslav Marković, the postman and president of the Posta employees’ strike committee from 2023, expressed that he had indeed paid the pension to a retiree from Budva. He stated that he signed the money order at her request and, after she filed a complaint against him, he reimbursed her with his personal funds.

Marković claims that the entire situation was exploited by the Post Office management as retaliation for his union activities, the strike he initiated, his accusations against management, and the legal actions he took.

“I had no intention of making my issue public, but after your article published in Vijesti, I feel compelled to respond. I want to clarify some facts regarding the events leading up to my dismissal. I have been employed at the Post Office for over a decade without facing any disciplinary actions. As postmen, we interact daily with clients who, due to their age and health conditions, ask us to sign return receipts or payment checks on their behalf. Almost all postmen in Montenegro assist clients in such situations at their request, and I did the same thing for the client in question, just as I had done before without any issues, as the client later confirmed. I’m not concerned with why the client overlooked the fact that I delivered her money correctly and on time, especially since she reported it 11 days afterward. I advised her to check her home security footage to confirm the payment. When she claimed that her cameras were malfunctioning, I suggested we verify my movements via the GPS device we are mandated to carry. We agreed to review it on the next working day, but she refused to do so, asserting that it would not prove I had given her the money. Consequently, I offered to reimburse her with my own money—not because I accepted wrongdoing, but to acknowledge the confusion and sign the check on her behalf, as she requested. She then proposed that I pay her 446 euros instead of the acknowledged 300 euros, which I firmly declined. Given that she did not accuse me of wrongdoing regarding the check signing and appeared satisfied with my compensation from personal funds, I expected the matter to conclude there. However, the Post Office management initiated disciplinary proceedings that resulted in my dismissal,” Marković elaborated.

He further stated that during the procedural hearings, his director supported him, asserting that she performed her duties professionally.

“Upon my request, all three of my direct supervisors provided identical statements affirming my work. Meanwhile, Post employees have started a petition to protect me, but management is pressuring staff not to sign. Nonetheless, I have received 30% support in some cities. I’ve also learned that residents in my area have initiated a petition for my reinstatement. All this raises the question of whether my dismissal was justified or merely a retaliatory act against my union efforts. I led a workers’ strike that ultimately proved justified. Following that strike, the Post began a review of my high school diploma, which I obtained many years ago. It’s worth considering whether they initiated a similar review when the media reported on the dubious diploma of the executive director. I must also note that the Unified Union of Employees of the Post of Montenegro, including its members and myself, have faced relentless pressure from the company’s leadership since the strike. This is further demonstrated by the fact that, despite an agreement with management at the end of the strike to suspend all ongoing legal actions, the Post Office has not complied, and legal actions against the union continue. I believe my dismissal stems from my public announcement of a lawsuit against the employer for the unpaid jubilee award, my advocacy for a non-working Saturday, demands for increased severance pay, uniform purchases, and raising other anomalies. Finally, given that for far more serious breaches of work obligations, the employer has previously imposed only suspended sentences or fines, I leave it to the public to draw their conclusions about whether this dismissal represents the most severe form of retaliation for my union activities,” Marković concluded.

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