Non-transparent spending of funds: SSPO launches preliminary investigation following a complaint by the Employees’ Union of the Radio Television of Montenegro

The Special State Prosecutor’s Office (SSPO) has recently launched a preliminary investigation based on a criminal complaint filed against the management of the Radio Television of Montenegro (Radio Televizija Crne Gore) by the Employees’ Union, over the non-transparent spending of funds allocated for employee bonuses – the union announced at a press conference.

The Employees’ Union of the Radio Television of Montenegro also organized the press conference to address, as they stated, anti-union discrimination being carried out against its members and the failure to sign a collective agreement.

It was announced at the conference that immediately after the preliminary investigation was launched, a new and so far unprecedented wave of pressure and intimidation against members of the Employees’ Union followed, resulting in 16 members leaving the union in just ten days.

Snežana Radusinović, a member of the Executive Board of the Employees’ Union, said that the subject of the complaint they filed in July concerns the non-transparent spending of funds for employee bonuses and fees paid to external associates.

- As of today, we can confirm the information that 735.000 euros gross per year is spent on bonuses, and over 400.000 euros on external associates - Radusinović said.

She added that this is an enormous sum of money being spent in a non-transparent manner, creating significant room for abuse of budgetary funds.

- Several reliable sources have confirmed to us that ten days ago the SSPO, acting on this complaint, launched a preliminary investigation at the Radio Television of Montenegro. Immediately afterward, a new and unprecedented wave of pressure and intimidation against our members followed, and in just ten days 16 members left the Union - Radusinović said.

She stated that on Friday they again addressed the SSPO and the Chief Special State Prosecutor Vladimir Novović.

- We requested that the prosecution, by exercising its competencies and powers through lawful procedures, urgently take measures to protect us from pressure exerted by the management - Radusinović added.

According to her, all of this is directly connected to negotiations on salary increases at the Radio Television of Montenegro, which have been ongoing for more than a year.

Eva Poleksić, President of the Employees’ Union, said that at a meeting recently held at the Ministry of Finance with representatives of the new union and the management, they were informed that bonuses at the Public Broadcaster reach up to 2.000 euros.

- Due to such high bonuses for privileged individuals at the Public Broadcaster, management is in no hurry to increase salaries, while the majority of employees, including media professionals, remain on minimum wage - Poleksić said.

In addition, she noted that not a single euro from last year’s budget of 24,5 million euros, of which 900.000 euros had been planned for salary increases, was spent for that purpose.

Poleksić added that all the money was redirected to other purposes, including construction works and public procurement.

- Are we facing the same scenario this year, when the budget of the Radio Television o Monenegro amounts to 26,38 million euros - Poleksić asked.

She said that in November, after exhausting and lengthy negotiations, they harmonized new pay coefficients with representatives of the management and the new union, but that this collective agreement has already received three negative opinions from the Ministry of Finance.

- Although we submitted a proposal of coefficients on December 30, integrating the Ministry of Finance’s guidelines with the aim of preserving projected salaries, this proposal was not even considered at the Public Broadcaster during January - Poleksić said.

She emphasized that the Ministry of Finance expressed readiness to provide an opinion on the revised proposal of coefficients in the shortest possible time.

- However, colleagues from the new union and the management interpret the Ministry of Finance’s recommendations in a completely different way, which creates an ideal scenario for delaying salary increases that could last for months - Poleksić said.

She stated that the pressure the union has been exposed to for over a year has escalated in recent days.

- This is not only an attack on the legally guaranteed right to union activity, but also on the negotiation process which, if we follow the Ministry of Finance’s guidelines, could be concluded as early as this week - Poleksić stressed.

Radusinović emphasized that the key issue is for the Radio Television of Montenegro pay coefficients to be aligned with the principle of equal pay in the public sector for the same or similar jobs requiring the same level of qualifications.

- Therefore, for a certain number of professions, the proposed coefficients must be reduced - Radusinović stated.

She said that on December 30 they submitted a proposal that has now been awaiting consideration for a month, despite the Ministry of Finance stating it could provide feedback within one day.

- This is a strong indicator that we are witnessing deliberate delays in these negotiations - Radusinović said.

She stressed that it is very important to know that all three negotiating parties at least in principle agree on preserving the projected salaries.

- Since this cannot be achieved solely through coefficients, the Ministry of Finance proposes applying a legal provision for professions whose coefficients will be adjusted, allowing for supplements for certain occupations. Through this supplement, salaries would be increased by the same percentage by which the coefficient would be reduced - Radusinović clarified.

According to her, applying this Ministry of Finance model would preserve projected salary amounts for every Public Broadcaster employee.

- At the moment, we interpret this model differently. As you know, differing interpretations are problematic in situations like this and provide fertile ground for indefinite delays of the process - Radusinović added.

Secretary General of the Union of Free Trade Unions Srđa Keković recalled that the Criminal Code of Montenegro stipulates that any obstruction or prevention of union activity constitutes a criminal offense punishable by a fine or up to one year in prison.

He said that today’s press conference was an attempt to expose everything that has been happening over the past months, as well as an effort to reach out again to members who, in the meantime, „withdrew their membership under pressure“.

- And, of course, to reach all other employees so they understand that if they do not have an authentic union willing to bear the burden of union struggle, they will not have better working conditions in the period ahead - Keković stated.

He added that, in addition to salary, an individual can receive up to 2.000 euros per month, and that no one in the state is paying attention to this issue.