By The public interest, both in law and in logic, presupposes transparency. This refers to all actions and processes that directly concern the citizens, and especially to those that the citizens, through the state budget, finance. The systematization of jobs in RTCG, which is underway and is being talked about in the media these days, is of public interest. This generally applies to all public institutions financed from the budget. There are several reasons to view the systematization process in this way.
The most important thing is for professional people to be on appropriate work assignments. The next, no less important reason is that all employees in a public company receive their earnings from the budget filled by Montenegrin taxpayers. In the case of RTCG, they are also viewers of the Public Service or they should be as financiers.
The national public broadcaster RTCG was digitized last year. What the citizens have been wishing for for years has finally come true. The image and tone are incomparably better, and the possibilities of the media, which by its nature should be the most influential and most watched, are now almost limitless. If there was a reason not to systematize in the past, a very long period, now is the time. The names of many job positions and duties envisaged by the earlier systematization are greatly outdated and obsolete. The romantic time of Beta and Yumatika is over. The digital age is looking for a digitally literate workforce. Modern conditions imply new positions with a new description of work tasks. It also means that the Public Service, for the digitization of which 11.4 million euros have been allocated, must determine the optimal number of workers of all profiles. The number of executors in certain positions should be increased, and in certain positions it should be reduced. Some positions that do not correspond to the digital system should be abolished.
Systematization is proposed by the management of RTCG, and adopted by the Council of RTCG. Of course, all this is impossible to do without the suggestions of employees who must have a clear insight into the systematization proposal. So, the biggest responsibility is on the members of the Council who make the final decision.
Disturbance and mistrust in the process of systematization are introduced by all actions that are basically hasty, unfounded and are not the result of a true dialogue between all parties. The work is serious and requires time, and the assumption is that all parties in the process are serious and want a quality and long-lasting solution.
RTCG has been considered as a media with a large number of employees for many years. It has been mentioned that this number should be significantly reduced. The figure of between 200 and 300 redundant workers was mostly mentioned. In the previous period, the number of total employees was mostly around 700.
The fact that there are RTCG workers who do not come to their jobs for years, and receive a regular salary every month, sounds almost unreal. This is mostly talked about quietly and along the way without the intention to illumnate to the end the truth of such claims, which should be one of the priorities of management. If this is true, workers, engaged in program production on a daily basis, are put in an unequal position.
Having in mind all the above, the current accelerated process of systematization is surprising, which in the first draft envisages about 860 jobs. Looking at the current social moment and the processes taking place in the public sector, when it comes to the accelerated recruitment of staff, it is difficult not to notice similar trends in RTCG, although only in hints.
Potentially irresponsible decisions, possibly supported by the Council, could have serious consequences. Directly speaking, these would make difficult conditions for the payment of income and bringing employees into existential insecurity.
The suggestion of SMCG, not only in the case of the Public Service but also of all media outlets that are obliged to bring the systematization of jobs, is not to be in too much of a hurry to reach a final solution, but also not to unnecessarily. It is necessary to assess the optimal number of workers, which occupations are necessary in the digital television era, to listen to all suggestions of employees, especially those with long careers in RTCG, and when the maximum possible compromise is reached, submit a proposal for job systematization to the Council. The expectation of the SMCG, but also of the general public, is that the process will be done transparently and fairly, which would be the basis for future quality work and restoring the trust of citizens in the Public Service, which was significantly shaken in the previous period.
SMCG Main board
