Among the 2,511 employees in 67 primary schools in Montenegro, including those in Podgorica with large student populations, the implementation of the Centralized Accounting System (COZ) will result in salary differences of up to five euros for half of them, while five percent—137 employees—will experience changes exceeding 40 euros.

This information comes from the accounting departments of a third of Montenegrin primary schools that have provided data in response to requests from the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation (MESI).

The preliminary calculations for May show that nearly 90 percent of those affected by the significant salary differences were on sick leave that month.

As per the announcement, 572 employees (22 percent) will notice a salary difference ranging from five to 15 euros, while 357 employees (14 percent) will see an increase between 15 and 25 euros. Approximately four percent of employees (115) will have differences from 25 to 30 euros, and 103 employees will have differences between 30 and 40 euros.

Officials from two government departments have reiterated several times that the discrepancies between the current calculations and the COZ can be attributed to the contentious method of calculating salary supplements (such as for classroom leadership and simultaneous work in multiple institutions). They assert that these supplements were, in many schools, erroneously applied to teachers on sick leave.

The Education Union has announced a warning protest for tomorrow, insisting that the Centralized Wage Calculation System’s introduction in pre-university education breaches the Sectoral Collective Agreement.

Radomir Božović, the President of the Education Union, stated in a press conference on Thursday that “the allegation of unlawful salary payments is without merit.”

“What is happening is occurring without social dialogue. The state abruptly decided to centralize the system without adequate preparation. We are disappointed by this approach. It is also a disrespect to the legal experts working in the Ministry of Education. The removal of sick leave calculations is yet another instance of a unilateral and damaging strategy,” Božović commented.

Ivana Mihajlović, the Deputy Secretary General of the Union of Free Trade Unions of Montenegro, noted that the Education Union is not just defending employee salaries, but the principle of the rule of law as well.

“Under the guise of centralization, the Government is attempting to implement changes while disregarding the Sectoral Collective Agreement. According to the information from July 2022, which the Government approved, the system can only be introduced in alignment with collective agreements. This endangers not just employees’ financial well-being but also their legal security,” Mihajlović stated.

Yesterday, the Ministry of Finance responded by affirming its commitment to constructive discussions within the framework of the law.

“The Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation are dedicated to a constructive dialogue within legal boundaries, emphasizing that in a rule-of-law state, there can be no compromise concerning the enforcement of regulations. The aim of the centralized salary calculation is not to diminish salaries for education employees but to ensure legal compliance and uphold the principle of ‘equal pay for equal work,’” they announced.

They also clarified that the integration of educational institutions into the Centralized Salary Calculation System will not introduce a new calculation method.

“This software has already been utilized by 159 state budgetary units for salary calculations. The union was aware of the inconsistencies in salary calculations during the preparatory phase, so it was anticipated they would recognize the need for standardization and legal compliance,” they added.

The Ministry of Finance further stressed that the COZ System guarantees uniform application of the law for everyone—whether employees in education or state administration.

“The Ministry of Finance and the ministry in charge invite dialogue to return to institutional frameworks, rather than allowing unfounded claims in public discourse that create unnecessary anxiety,” they announced on Saturday.

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