By The Presidents of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), Dominique Pradali and Maja Sever, have responded to the statements made by RTCG Director General Boris Raonić.
We publish their response in full:
Dear Mr. Raonić,
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), together with our Montenegrin affiliate, the Trade Union of Media in Montenegro (TUMM), have received your reply – which, we must note, does not address the core issues raised in our letter.
Our communication was not focused on investments, nor management achievements, but on serious and persistent allegations of anti-union discrimination, pressure on employees to withdraw from trade union membership, and the systematic weakening and marginalization of the Trade Union of RTCG Employees.
Listing material improvements or internal management measures does not constitute an answer to concerns about freedom of association. In international labor and human rights standards, improvements in salaries, infrastructure, or equipment can never justify, offset, or replace the obligation to fully respect trade union rights and to ensure that workers can organize without fear of pressure, retaliation, or professional consequences.
Your reply largely challenges the legitimacy and motives of trade union representatives and individual employees, rather than addressing whether any pressure, discrimination, or obstruction of trade union activity has taken place. Such an approach raises additional concerns about the state of social dialogue at RTCG and is inconsistent with good practice in European public service media, where management is expected to engage constructively with trade unions, even in cases of disagreement.
We also wish to underline that the situation at RTCG cannot be viewed in isolation from the broader and well-documented legal and governance issues surrounding the institution. These include:
- The fact that you have continued to hold the position of Director-General unlawfully, as confirmed by nine court judgments
- Ongoing criminal proceedings against multiple members of the RTCG Council in connection with your unlawful appointment
- The fact that the Basic State Prosecutor’s Office has initiated preliminary proceedings, after Trade Union of RTCG Employees submitted the report concerning alleged non-transparent spending of public funds by RTCG management for variable pay and fees for external collaborators
These circumstances further reinforce the need for heightened scrutiny and full transparency regarding labor relations, governance, and respect for the rule of law within RTCG.
Once again, we reiterate our serious concern regarding reports of anti-union discrimination and pressure on employees related to their trade union membership, as well as the exclusion and censorship of the Trade Union of RTCG Employees from RTCG programming, which effectively denies the union access to the public service media in which it operates and limits its ability to communicate with both employees and the wider public.
Such practices, if confirmed, are incompatible with European labor standards, ILO Conventions, and the principles of public service media in democratic societies.
IFJ, EFJ, and TUMM therefore reiterate their demand that these allegations are promptly, independently, and credibly investigated, and that immediate and concrete measures ensure full respect for freedom of association, protection of trade union representatives and members, and genuine, good-faith social dialogue at RTCG.
We remain open to dialogue, but such dialogue can only be meaningful if it directly addresses the specific allegations, respects the legitimate role of trade unions, and is grounded in verifiable facts — not in general statements, deflection, or attempts to undermine the legitimacy of workers’ representatives.
We will continue to closely monitor developments at RTCG and will inform relevant national and international institutions accordingly.
