Former workers of "Košuta" appeal to Spajić, block the road

Former workers of the former Cetinje factory "Košuta" will once again block traffic on the Cetinje - Podgorica main road today, in order to point out the long-standing problem of their unpaid salaries and unrelated work experience. They will protest in Kruševo zdříjelo from 11 to 11.30:12 a.m., and then they will stop traffic in the same place until XNUMX noon.

This was confirmed to "Vijesti" by the lawyer of these workers Petar Martinovic.

The former workers of "Košuta" have been actively protesting for more than half a year and are seeking a meeting with the authorities in order to pay nine unpaid salaries for 693 workers, in the amount of 2.806.650 euros, and to connect the seniority of 81 of them. In 1996, bankruptcy proceedings were opened in "Košuta" which ended in 2001, and in the process the workers' claims were not paid.

"I appeal to the prime minister Milojko Spajić to bear in mind that these people were literally brought to the wall, and that everything that happens in the future will be the sole and direct culprit, because these people were simply crying out and dying in the hope that they would be accepted and respected by the first man of the state, who was not showed not the slightest amount of empathy towards his people. From September, the workers will probably go in front of the Government and stand there until someone calls them. In the coming weeks, we will probably extend the duration of the blockades," Martinović pointed out.

He also stated that since the beginning of the gathering, seven bankrupts of "Košuta" have passed away, that the rest are tired and exhausted, but also that they will not give up on their demands. He pointed out that they have not yet received feedback from the authorities and that among the workers there are some who are 87 years old.

He referred to the legal aspect of the claim and stated that the situation is clear from that side as well, i.e. that the former workers of the fashion footwear industry (IMO) "Košuta" as primary creditors - the first order of payment, did not settle nine unpaid salaries, due to which 4 In March 1996, bankruptcy proceedings were initiated. He explained that the workers had not worked in the factory since that day.

"On June 14, 2001, the bankruptcy proceedings were concluded, in which there were 30 creditors with lower payment orders compared to the workers - bankrupts, and it is clear that the workers never settled their claims of nine wages, which is why the bankruptcy proceedings were initiated . Therefore, the workers did not work in the period from 1996 to 2001, and there is not even an iota of doubt that they could have been paid in any way, and the material evidence is reflected precisely in the decision on the conclusion of the bankruptcy proceedings, in which there is not a single bankrupt who today lays down his life on the main road Cetinje - Podgorica", he pointed out.

The bankrupts have been trying to get a meeting with the Government for some time, and on May 14 they submitted a request for admission to the Minister of Labor Naide Nišić, after previously saying she was willing to discuss finding a solution to their three-decade-old problem. Nišić then pointed out that the Government is intensively considering the issue of bankrupts, but also that there are 20.000 workers in a similar situation, as well as hundreds of inherited problems and millions of amounts that need to be paid. She pointed out that she is ready for the meeting, but also that irresponsible past policies towards the workers will definitely pay off in the future.

"Košuta" was opened in Cetinje in 1961, at its peak it employed almost 1.600 people and had stores all over Yugoslavia at the time. Since the beginning of this century, the factory has passed through the hands of several private individuals, and later, after several auctions, it was sold to local businessmen and the capital. The space of the former economic giant on almost 25 square meters is now used for the storage of goods and business operations of the Cetinje Business Center, while part of it is in disrepair.