PM Marković: Government and Administration and Judiciary Trade Union will continue dialogue on all issues important for position of public administration employees

Podgorica, Montenegro (22 october 2019) -- Prime Minister Duško Marković hosted a delegation of the Administration and Judiciary Trade Union, headed by President Nenad Rakočević.

The Trade Union's representatives pointed to the unsatisfactory financial position of the employees in the administration and the judiciary, emphasising the demand for the salaries to be increased for the employees in this branch of public administration.

Prime Minister Marković stated that the salaries of public administration employees were increased by the adoption of the Law on Earnings in the Public Sector, and that the reason for the announced increase of salaries in healthcare and education is because there were no increases in these sectors after the adoption of this Law in 2016 .

Expressing his full understanding of the views of the Administration and Judiciary Trade Union, the Prime Minister also outlined a number of financial constraints which at the moment exclude the possibility of increasing salaries in the administration and the judiciary. The exception could be officials with special powers and responsibilities in the security and justice sector, who are already looking for a way and a model for higher incomes for specific jobs and the result achieved, Prime Minister Marković stressed. He also supported the establishment of a housing fund for employees in the state administration. The Government will encourage any model that will lead to a fairer and more affordable housing programme for employees, PM Marković concluded.

The meeting also addressed the position and complex working conditions of prison staff, and agreed on next steps toward creating normative assumptions in order to improve the functionality of the Administration for the Execution of Criminal Sanctions.

It was concluded that there is a mutual agreement to continue the intensive dialogue, with expressed respect for the needs of the employees in the administration and the judiciary.