By In response to an article published on the Gradska portal, in which the president and vice-president of the Trade Union of Media of Montenegro are mentioned, we issue the following
RESPONSE
In the one-sided article, which was, to our surprise, published on the website of the Local Public Broadcaster RTV Podgorica, several falsehoods were stated. We are compelled to respond in order to provide our members and the citizens of Podgorica with accurate and complete information regarding the situation at this publicly funded media outlet.
- The president of the trade union organization of RTV Podgorica, colleague Milan Nikčević, was recently dismissed following a fabricated disciplinary procedure, which was preceded by an unlawful suspension issued by the executive director of Gradska TV, Vladimir Otašević. None of the colleagues who signed the initiative to prohibit our attendance at the extraordinary assembly of the RTV Podgorica union opposed this or spoke out in any way, even though around 50 colleagues tried to resist, only to be sabotaged by the management. Nikčević has initiated legal proceedings, and we are confident that this will lead to his reinstatement, including the payment of lost wages with accrued interest. The Media Union stood by him during the disciplinary proceedings, as we have for other members against whom Gradska’s management initiated what turned out to be baseless disciplinary actions. We discussed both the disciplinary process and the suspension first with executive director Vladimir Otašević (who accused and later dismissed Nikčević for alleged unauthorized spending), then with the Mayor of Podgorica, Saša Mujović (since RTV Podgorica is primarily funded from the city’s budget and this is a labor dispute), and finally with members of the RTV Podgorica Council. One must ask: how do the signatories of the initiative know details of the meeting with the Council? We did not pass on that information.
- We have never requested “severe penalties (termination of employment contracts)” for Dejan Bogojević and Radomir Tešanović. That is simply not true.
- We maintain our demand that Vladimir Otašević be dismissed from the position of executive director of RTV Podgorica due to continuous illegal practices and the unlawful dismissal of the union president. He was absent from work for three months due to temporary incapacity, failed to provide legally required medical certificates, yet continued receiving full salary as if he were working — with his job “waiting” for him, indicating he knew he was extremely privileged. The proof of his three-month absence without documentation and continued salary payments is a statement/document from Otašević himself, received following a Freedom of Information request.
We inform our members and the public that Mayor Mujović was shocked by the reasons behind Nikčević’s dismissal. That meeting was also attended by two of the initiative’s signatories — legal advisor Relja Stamatović and head of finance Nemanja Vešović — both of whom clearly stated that the dismissal should never have happened.
While the disciplinary process was ongoing, we spoke with Otašević to prevent the damage and injustice done to colleague Nikčević. Despite certain assurances that the matter would be handled legally and that the anti-union discrimination and double standards against Nikčević would cease, nothing came of it.
We will not elaborate on the second point — the alleged demand for the dismissal of two colleagues — as it simply did not happen. This is a falsehood and a cheap spin. We call on the signatories of the initiative to provide any proof or statement from the Media Union that calls for the dismissal of the two colleagues.
Attached is the document we submitted to the Council, showing the actual reasons we are requesting Otašević’s dismissal. This also refutes the part of the article signed by some members claiming we are calling for his removal because he supported the union. Half-truths help no one and are easily disproven. Again, this concerns unauthorized spending — which we learned about because Otašević himself asked Nikčević to provide the decision authorizing his own year-long misuse of Gradska’s funds. He requested this from the same man he had fired two months earlier.
We call on the RTV Podgorica Council to dismiss Otašević due to anti-union actions against the union president that resulted in his dismissal, and due to his ongoing illegal conduct. As such, he must vacate the position — despite the fact that the same Council in May approved, at his request, a 30% permanent variable salary increase.
The RTV Podgorica union has been a member of the Media Union since its inception and now has 70 members. The initiative to ban our attendance at the assembly was signed by 16 people. You can judge for yourself whether that constitutes one-third of the membership. The presence of SMCG leadership was approved by executive director Otašević (proof attached).
We also note that you have been changing the article and illustrations minute by minute — including now removing the signatures (as, according to our information, people are withdrawing them) — and so we reserve the right to respond further.
We are available for any additional clarifications.
Hoping you will truly read this,
Sincerely,
Radomir Kračković, President of the Trade Union of Media of Montenegro (SMCG)
Marijana Camović Veličković, Vice President of SMCG
Milan Nikčević, President of the Union Organization of RTV Podgorica and member of the SMCG Main Board
