By Media workers are among those who will feel the consequences of the failure to sign a new General Collective Agreement (GCA) the most, warned Marijana Camović Veličković, Vice-President of the Trade Union of Media of Montenegro (TUMM), at a press conference organised by the Union of Free Trade Unions.
She recalled that the previous GCA expired following months of negotiations between the social partners and the Government on a new agreement and an increase in the calculation coefficient used for salaries, leaving numerous workers’ rights unprotected.
“Media workers have not only been denied an increase in the calculation coefficient, but have also lost compensation for Sunday and holiday work, years of service, and all the other benefits that were guaranteed by the GCA.”
Camović Veličković stressed that the situation in the media sector is particularly difficult, as collective agreements exist in only three of Montenegro’s approximately 200 media outlets, all of them in the public sector.
“Social dialogue is practically non-existent in any private media outlet in Montenegro, which is why media workers will be among those most severely affected by the absence of a GCA.”
She explained that the GCA provides the minimum level of protection for workers’ rights in sectors where there are no branch-level or company-level collective agreements.
Camović Veličković also emphasised that social dialogue should be conducted through arguments and negotiations, rather than in the manner demonstrated by Government ministers during yesterday’s parliamentary session.
She called on media workers, as well as all citizens, to support the protest organised by the Union of Free Trade Unions on 5 June in Tivat.
