The Railway Infrastructure Company (ŽICG) management and a collective of employees have failed to reach a consensus regarding a salary hike, resulting in the continued halt of Montenegrin railway services.

Today’s negotiations, spanning several hours and involving two representative unions and Ministry of Transport officials, did not yield results, hence trains remain stationary.

According to ŽICG management, they proposed a substantial salary increment. However, the employees sought further enhancements, which were ultimately declined.

A faction of 85 ŽICG employees, encompassing train and traffic dispatchers, voiced that while no overall agreement was made, they have not disregarded the entirety of management’s proposal, leading to continued blockades. They assert their dignity was compromised by the management’s offer, leading to their refusal to accept it.

The workers also noted that the company did not provide assurances regarding the timeline for revising and ratifying the collective agreement, which contributed to their non-acceptance of the offer.

Following the discussions, ŽICG released an additional statement asserting their commitment to drafting a collective agreement within a week. They noted that this document would encompass all proposed coefficient adjustments for employees, and Ministry of Transport representatives pledged to forward the draft to the Ministry of Finance later that day.

The workers also requested interim financial assistance of 200 or 300 euros until the collective agreement is ratified.

“Involvement of Prosecution and Police Needed”

Post-meeting, Executive Director of ŽICG, Marina Bošković, revealed that the employee collective, which has paralyzed traffic for the past four days, turned down their offer.

Bošković indicated that the employees were presented with a significant pay increase and that entry-level dispatchers would see a monthly increase of up to 300 euros.

She elaborated that management, unions, and the Ministry of Transport had concurred on a salary adjustment, stipulating that a train dispatcher with a high school degree and one year of experience would earn between 1,000 and 1,160 euros, while those with 15 years of experience would take home between 1,045 and 1,208 euros monthly.

“The accepted coefficient of 7.9, along with a 30 percent incentive, means our offer for a train dispatcher – a high school education with one year of experience – ranges from 1,000 to 1,160 euros per month. This was rejected with demands for an additional 25 percent increase in incentives, which is not legally permissible and could not be accepted by any organizational management or union internationally,” emphasized Bošković.

She pointed out that their proposal adhered to legal standards and provided a solid foundation for further enhancing employee conditions, but it was rejected. Such actions led to suspicions of organized groups undermining the state behind some strikers. She urged those willing to accept the offer to sign the contract and return to work to avoid getting involved in disruptions.

Bošković called on the prosecutors and police to act within their jurisdiction to restore order and unblock railway operations.

“ŽICG has commenced procedures for recruiting trained personnel from both our nation and neighboring regions to assist with logistical needs for traffic resumption. We anticipate this will be implemented swiftly. Concurrently, we appeal to law enforcement and prosecutors, after four days of ignoring this unlawful blockade, to undertake necessary actions to restore railway operations, as this is a critical infrastructure vital for the state,” she stated.

“Rejection Over Minor Issues”

The representative unions of ŽICG have indicated they do not oppose the salary enhancement but are advocating for equal increases across all staff levels.

Miodrag Perišić, president of the New Union of ŽICG, mentioned that a subset of employees declined to support the company’s proposal due to trivial concerns.

Marko Cacović, the head of the ŽICG Trade Union, added that while the coefficient increase would be 30 percent, employees were requesting additional rises of 20 to 25 percent in other categories, which do not comply with legal stipulations.

He pointed out that employees have dismissed the offers, and during recruitment efforts, traffic engineers will be brought on board, who must also undergo health and medical evaluations for dispatch duties, which may take several days.

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