Firefighters announce protest on 16 November: Spajić, Milatović, all MPs and Government representatives should come and look us in the eye
It is unacceptable that a person performing such complex, responsible and high-risk duties earns just 657 euros. Is this how much the state values someone who saves human lives through their knowledge, courage and dedication? Is it possible that those who are always at the service of citizens, regardless of the time of day, weather conditions or danger, now have to worry about how to feed their families on their salaries - the firefighters asked
The Firefighters' Association of Montenegro announced that it would organise a protest on 16 November at 9:30 a.m. in front of the Parliament of Montenegro, following the lack of support at the Parliamentary Committee on Economy, Finance and Budget for a proposal to reinstate their profession in the appropriate pay grade under the Law on Salaries of Public Sector Employees and increase their job complexity coefficient from the current 7.3 to 9.5.
They called on all MPs, Prime Minister Milojko Spajić, President Jakov Milatović, Government representatives and all political entities to come in front of the Parliament and look them in the eye.
- Come and explain why people who save lives every day do not deserve to earn a decent living through their work. Come and tell us why it is so difficult to support an increase in the coefficient from 7.3 to 9.5. Come and let us hear the arguments for why a salary of 657 euros is considered appropriate for someone who is expected to be ready at any moment to risk their own life to save someone else's. We are not asking for applause, photo opportunities or kind words, but for concrete decisions - the firefighters said.
They recalled that, having faced years of unsatisfactory financial conditions, an undervalued professional status and a lack of concrete solutions to improve their rights, they had previously addressed all parliamentary groups in the Parliament of Montenegro, Prime Minister Milojko Spajić and President Jakov Milatović with a clear and justified demand.
- The first institutional response came from President Jakov Milatović, who assessed the firefighters' request as justified. Zoran Mikić, a representative of the Civic Movement URA, went a step further by submitting a proposal for amendments to the law to the Parliament of Montenegro. However, when it came to taking concrete action and supporting the people who have for years been referred to as quiet heroes, support was lacking in the parliamentary committee responsible for economy, finance and budget. The proposed amendments to the law failed to secure the necessary majority. And this is precisely where we get to the heart of the problem: firefighters are welcome when people want to take pictures with them, call them heroes and publicly promise them better status. But when it comes to securing a concrete pay rise and recognising the value of their work, support is nowhere to be found - they stated.
A firefighter-rescuer, they emphasised, is more than just a profession.
- It is a vocation that requires responsibility, courage, expertise, physical and mental fitness, as well as daily exposure to dangers that most people will never encounter. These are the people who enter buildings engulfed in flames, fight fires in inaccessible terrain, rescue people from road accidents and take part in rescue operations during floods, earthquakes and other natural disasters. They are the people who pull injured victims from wrecked vehicles, search for missing persons and risk their own health and lives in situations where others are expected to move to safety. While others flee from danger, they run towards it - the firefighters said.
Behind every emergency response, they added, are families waiting for their loved ones to return home.
- Behind every call-out is a human being, flesh and blood, with fears, worries, children, parents, bills and everyday needs. That is why it is unacceptable that someone performing such complex, responsible and high-risk duties earns just 657 euros. Is this how much the state values someone who saves human lives through their knowledge, courage and dedication? Is it possible that those who are always at the service of citizens, regardless of the time of day, weather conditions or danger, now have to worry about how to feed their families on their salaries - the firefighters asked.
They stressed that they are not made of steel, but are human beings, just like everyone else.
- They have families, children and responsibilities, and they have the right to earn a decent living through their work, rather than being pushed to the very brink of poverty. We would particularly like to send a message to all MPs in the Parliament of Montenegro: this demand does not belong to any political party, parliamentary group or political option. Firefighters do not divide people into government and opposition, ruling parties and opposition parties, or one side and the other. When we respond to emergencies, we do not ask who someone votes for, what their nationality or religion is, or what their political affiliation may be. We save everyone who needs help - they stated.
For this reason, they said, they expect MPs to base their decisions on facts, a sense of responsibility and respect for a profession that is of immeasurable importance to the safety of every citizen.
- We call on all MPs, without exception, to support the proposed amendments to the Law on Salaries of Public Sector Employees during the plenary session, specifically the provisions concerning firefighter-rescuers, and to vote in favour of increasing the job complexity coefficient from 7.3 to 9.5. Political differences are irrelevant to us. We are not asking for political favour, but for our work to be valued fairly. We are not asking for privileges, but for a salary that reflects the responsibility, complexity and risks of the work we perform. We are not asking for charity, but for the right to support our families through honest and honourable work - they stated.
It was precisely for this reason that firefighters from across Montenegro came together in a joint initiative and established the Firefighters' Association, with the aim of jointly articulating their demands, protecting their professional dignity and continuing their fight for a fairer financial and social standing.
- Our fight is not against any political party. Our fight is for the dignity of our profession, the livelihood of our families and the respect that firefighter-rescuers deserve. Montenegro must finally understand that the safety of its citizens cannot depend on people whose financial situation is on the brink of poverty. Because when a fire breaks out, when an accident occurs, when floodwaters destroy homes and when a human life hangs in the balance, nobody cares who is in power, who is in opposition or which political party anyone belongs to. At such moments, everyone expects just one thing - for firefighters to arrive on time! That is why the time has come for the state to stand by its firefighters, just as firefighters have always stood by their fellow citizens - they concluded.