Party recruitment and nepotism have increased the expenditure side of the Post of Montenegro, they have brought confusion in the organizational part, and with regret I have to state that the management of the Post before August 30, 2020, despite the numerous anomalies that I have publicly spoken about, was significantly better in certain segments .
This is what Stojan Sjekloća, a member of the Board of Directors of the Post Office (United Montenegro), told "Vijesti".
He claims that there is room for savings and reduction of expenses in the business of the Post Office in order to meet the demands of the strike committee to a significant extent. He believes that savings could be made by, among other things, annexing or terminating certain contracts that are a cost for the company, and that by looking at the documentation, he was convinced that there is room for savings in the consumption of fuel, oil, tires and spare parts. .
"More than 100.000 euros were spent outside the household on the purchase of three luxury vehicles 'Opel Mokka', in addition to the very decent existing vehicle fleet," claims Sjekloća.
He said that several wrong decisions had been made recently, although he pointed to them and voted against them at meetings, as well as that the "top management" of the company was not up to the moment and that it was "composed of inexperienced and up-and-coming individuals and third-rate party flyers." , with honorable exceptions". He cites the procurement of office supplies, painting services, and the purchase of luxury vehicles as wrong decisions.
Sjeloća stated that the strike, which has been going on since October 2 and the negative publicity in the public, could have been avoided if there had been "more goodwill and knowledge on the part of the top management". He participated in part of the negotiations before the start of the strike.
"Social dialogues are specific and require a lot of patience and goodwill, in addition to economic and legal knowledge and knowledge of social policy. If you want, also ethics. All this was largely absent, primarily by the top management who was not up to the given situation. Moreover, they further irritated an already unenviable situation", claims Sjekloća.
As a long-term employee of the Post and a member of the board of directors from 2016, in front of the opposition and the Government of Electoral Confidence, Sjekloća says that with regret he has to state that the management of the Post before August 30, 2020, despite the numerous anomalies he spoke about publicly, was significantly better in certain segments.
"Party employment and nepotism existed before, but not with the 'hands-on system', which recklessly increased the expenditure side and brought confusion in the organizational part. The much praised and expensively paid 'historical' systematization further complicated the situation. Certain ardent supporters of that systematization would like to change it now," said Sjekloća.
He states that a special problem is the reception of new workers in the administration, and not in, as he said, "production" where there are postmen, counter workers...
"Irresponsible employment policy has created a kind of 'surplus-shortage' paradox of workers. In addition to the unknown management, it also had a negative impact on interpersonal relations in the company, which caused an enormous increase in disciplinary procedures and court processes," Sjekloća said.
He states that at almost every meeting of the board of directors, he pointed out the scope for possible savings as well as wrong decisions.
"After the constitution of the board of directors, I proposed a comprehensive analysis of the cost side, including all contracts. I am sure that by terminating or annexing certain contracts, the Post would be freed from unjustified, and in some cases possibly even dubious, expenses. In addition, significant money was spent in dubious direct deals. A drastic example is from 2022, when office supplies were purchased in the amount of 95.000 euros. They announced the tender in December of that year. So they spent double the funds. Then, painting works in the postal logistics center (PLC) in the amount of 4.864 euros and 4.525 euros. It is symptomatic that it is the same company, and that the purchase was paid for on the same day, January 31.1.2022, XNUMX. It is particularly interesting that it is a new PLC building and that nothing has been whitewashed", said Sjekloća.
Sjekloća said that as a member of the board, he repeatedly asked for information on the number of newly hired workers, but he did not receive it.
"Their number ranges from 150 to 180. However, the problem here is not only excessive and partisan employment, but that such staffing has produced nepotism, and that in key positions in the Post Office. As a result, we have that the sister is the head of the central treasury of the Post Office, and her brother is the president of the board of directors and the project director - Central Integrated Business Information System, worth 1,86 million euros, while the daughter-in-law heads through the central warehouse - a depot in which there are about 2,5, XNUMX million euros, and the director of PLC is his father-in-law," said Sjekloća.
The rush to pay money for the new central information system
The management of the company informed the strike committee that the problems at the Post Office will be solved when the claim for "universal service" from the Telecommunications Agency of 12 million euros is paid, Sjekloća says that the collection of this "debt" is impossible because it does not exist.
"How is it possible that someone owes you money if you sued him for the same and lost every lawsuit. And how they will charge it - cowboy. Unfortunately, they do not know how to solve this problem in a satisfactory way for the Post Office and the universal service", said Sjekloća.
He said that in 2021 they inherited a debt of 5,8 million euros, and that the management has since taken a new loan of 1,8 million euros.
"My colleague from the board of directors, Marko Lalević and I, voted against that assignment, but we were outvoted. It was taken for the procurement of a central integrated information business system. The contract was signed on April 4, 2022, and the loan for its purchase was taken out in 2023. The financing of that project was planned from loans, and by September 2022, 70 percent of the contracted sum had already been paid from own revenues. As if someone was in a hurry. At the meetings of the board of directors, I proposed that 'if we have to' raise a loan for the missing part of 300 to 400 thousand euros, but I was too loud. Next year, when repayment begins, the monthly installment will amount to 33 thousand euros", said Sjekloća.
Savings could provide money for salary increases
Negotiations between the strike committee and the management regarding wage increases continue today. The strikers are asking for a 30 percent increase in wages, while the management offers a change in coefficients that would mean an 11 percent increase in wages.
Sjekloća believes that a compromise solution with the strike committee is possible, because at the meeting with the union leadership, I did not get the impression that they are acting ultimately.
"It should be emphasized that the leadership of the union has other demands, in addition to the basic one for a 30 percent salary increase, which speaks of the complexity and justification of the workers' dissatisfaction. The money could be provided on the expenditure and income side", said Sjekloća.
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