Today, employees of the Municipality of Kotor gathered in front of the municipal building to protest their unpaid January salaries, a situation exacerbated by the ongoing political turmoil in the city.

Carrying banners with messages such as “Stop the blockade of our city,” “Constitutional Court blocked = dysfunctional without a staffing plan,” and “We demand a session of the Kotor parliament,” the protesters made their voices heard.

The representative trade union organization for the administrative bodies of the Municipality of Kotor announced yesterday that the scheduled protests by municipal workers and other institutions, due to the delays in salary payments and the inadequate functioning of the municipality, would occur today from 11:00 to 11:30. From Tuesday through Friday, they plan to hold a protest at the roundabout near the Post Office of Montenegro, blocking the road from 11:10 to 11:20.

According to Aleksa Blagojević, the president of the trade union organization, “We have reported the protests to the relevant authority in accordance with the law, and we urge employees in the Municipality of Kotor and other institutions to participate in large numbers. Our right to earn a living is one of the fundamental human rights guaranteed by the Constitution of Montenegro and various international regulations, and it is currently under threat.”

In his statement, he emphasized that political complications stemming from the unresolved local elections held last year have left the Municipality of Kotor unable to fulfill its legally mandated obligations, particularly to its citizens, institutions, sports clubs, and other entities within the municipality.

Local elections took place in Kotor on September 29, but due to disputes regarding two polling stations (Mirac and Dom kulture Prčanj), the final results have yet to be announced. As a result, a new government has not been formed, and this year’s budget has not been approved, nor has a decision on temporary financing been made.

The trade union organization of the Kotor Municipality administration stated: “We firmly believe that the citizens of Kotor will understand our decision to express dissatisfaction with the current situation by blocking the road, which will be for a minimal duration so as to not significantly disrupt traffic.”

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