Trains from Podgorica to Nikšić and Bar did not run until 13:XNUMX p.m. yesterday - some of the interviewees of Vijesti claim that it is an obstruction because the employees were given to sign annexes to the contract prohibiting them from simultaneously working for a private person, while other sources of Vijesti claim that they are employed refused to operate technically defective trains and demanded an increase in wages...
The Management of Railway Transport (ŽPCG) did not mention any of that in yesterday's statement, and justified the stoppage of traffic on the grounds of train breakdowns.
Several sources from that state-owned company claim that part of the workers actually parked the trains because they are dissatisfied with having to sign addenda to the employment contract, which oblige them not to work for the private company "Kombinovani prevoz Montenegro", but also for other competing companies.
"Vijesti" sources claim that the workers are not on a real strike, but call it a "peaceful strike due to the offered contract annexes".
Yesterday, the Ministry of Transport called on the management of ŽPCG to take responsibility in this difficult moment and try to ensure the flow of railway traffic, while taking care of the safety of passengers.
The sources of "Vijesti" agree that the cause of these problems was the initiative of the Ministry of Transport, which at the end of October asked the Directorate for the Inspection of Railway Infrastructure, Traffic and Cableways to check the employment of workers in ŽPCG, i.e. whether they are performing the same work in the state-owned company without consent. and other companies. The inspector then established that part of the workers work in two companies in parallel, and said that it is urgently necessary to make annexes to the employment contract in order to put an end to this.
Inspector's finding
"We warn that this type of engagement of employees can lead to a direct threat to the safety of railway traffic, one and another company, and at the same time it can also endanger the lives of employees who are engaged outside of their regular work, as well as the lives of third parties, and in the end it represents a danger for the property of the companies where they are employed (regularly or additionally). It is necessary to urgently create an annex to the employment contract, where it is clearly defined that during their work engagement in ŽPCG, employees cannot work in their own name and on their own account, as well as in the name and account of a company or a natural person on jobs they do in ŽPCG (prohibition competition) and which tasks the employee performs within the job description of the position to which he is assigned", says the letter, which is the chief railway inspector Veselin Mandic addressed to the director of ŽPCG in mid-November Dragana Lukšić, into which "Vijesti" had an insight.
"Vijesti" asked ŽPCG about the annexes and the peaceful strike, i.e. whether they signed them, whether there is resistance in this process, how many of their workers work in other companies and whether traffic is endangered by this. The answers have not been submitted, but ŽPCG added that they will provide them at today's press conference.
ŽPCG said that they have a limited number of trains to carry out the timetable and that a breakdown on any of them means organizing an alternative transportation of passengers by buses.
They announced this yesterday, after all morning trains between Podgorica, Bar and Nikšić were cancelled. They pointed out that the Spanish "CAF" trains are in the Podgorica depot due to a temporary technical malfunction and that the malfunction will be rectified quickly.
They added that one of these three trains was repaired and returned to traffic yesterday around 13 pm. They emphasized that only safe trains can be included in traffic.
"Due to a temporary technical malfunction of the EMV part, the day before yesterday there was a disruption in traffic on the Podgorica-Nikšić route. An alternative transportation of passengers by bus is organized on this route. Also, for the same reason, an alternative bus service was organized yesterday on the route Podgorica-Bar. ŽPCG is making maximum efforts to remove technical defects as soon as possible", said the company.
Breakdowns also stopped Spanish trains at the end of August this year.
Pavićević transferred to "Combinovani prevoz"
The source "Vijesti" said that after the findings of the inspector, the ŽPCG offered annexes to the contract for about 150 workers, namely train drivers, conductors, car inspectors, and maneuverers, and that they will probably be sent to all employees. He also emphasized that only five or six people are doing the obstructions, while some of the disgruntled workers follow them, and that this is one of the forms of pressure on the management, in order to avoid signing the annex and initiate talks.
He explained that these workers stop train traffic based on malfunctions, even though the problems have been present for a long time. This is exactly what happened the day before yesterday, when trains on the Podgorica-Nikšić route were canceled in the afternoon due to a faulty toilet water system. The source stated that before that, the same workers were running trains with no wet toilets working, and now they have stopped the traffic because of water in the toilet.
"This is the result of the work of the previous management, and the railway's turnaround started in 2020. Some of the workers work in parallel with the private company "Combined Transport", which is dangerous because of the responsibility that each of the railway workers has, as well as fatigue. The CEO of that company is now Ilinka Pavićević, and that company has an extremely small number of full-time employees and train drivers, because ŽPCG workers work for them", he claims and adds that the deadline for signing the annex has expired, so some will also be fired.
Pavićević was the executive director of ŽPCG until mid-August, when the Board of Directors dismissed her due to irregularities in her work. She succeeded her in that position as an acting officer Slavica Pavićević, while later in mid-October, the current director was elected to that position in another competition Dragana Lukšić.
In the documentation on the technical inspection that was carried out in September on the electric motor train (EMV) "CAF" of Spanish production, into which "Vijesti" had access, it is written that the PIS public address system, video surveillance and displays, exterior cameras have not been working in it for several years. - mirrors, faucets in toilets, fire alarm...
"We have information that these trains have been used with technical problems in the previous five, six years, these defects are not related to traffic safety, because it is about the system for washing hands in the toilet and the Passenger Information System (PIS)", emphasized the source of "Vijesti". and pointed out that the announcement of ŽPCG about the malfunctioning of the trains is untrue.
Montecargo annexed labor contracts
"Vijesti" also asked other companies in this sector about the annexes, while "Railway Infrastructure" (ŽICG) pointed out that these measures do not apply to them. The company Montecargo said that in June of last year, according to the Labor Law, all employees signed annexes to the contract, that is, they cannot work for others without the consent of the parent company.
Montecargo pointed out that they noticed that workers were being hired by private operators, so they did it to protect their interests and traffic safety, but also to ensure that private operators would respect the law.
"Employees did not offer any objections or resistance to signing the annexes offered. In this way, we legally prevented employees from working for the competition and the possibility that special technological knowledge and skills are not used by the competition, which represent business information and secrets. In this way, traffic safety has been increased, in such a way that by complying with the Law on Safety, Organization and Efficiency of Railway Transport and by-laws, it is precisely known how long an employee's shift lasts, what is the rest period between engagement shifts, and that after the expiration of that time the employee is not able to for work. Inadequate duration of staff shifts, which is precisely prescribed by chapter XI of the law, endangers traffic safety, which is the priority of all those who organize it, manage it and the managers," said the company.
It will also be sent to the Railway Administration for control
The Ministry of Transport called on the management of ŽPCG to take responsibility in this difficult moment and try to ensure the flow of railway traffic, while taking care of the safety of passengers.
The department said yesterday that they are following the developments in ŽPCG and that they have already sent letters to the Railway Administration, in order to carry out supervision, and that they expect the inspection supervision to show the true state of affairs in this company.
"Aware that the ŽPCG is facing problems inherited from the previous period, the ministry is taking all the steps within its jurisdiction to overcome the existing situation. Having learned from bad experiences from the past, the safety of passengers is imperative for the ministry, and in this sense we consider it responsible if there is a breakdown on the trains to stop them. It is important to mention that ŽPCG provided citizens with transportation despite the fact that the trains were unable to run. "In the previous period, we provided 30 million euros for the purchase of new trains, and this procedure is led by ŽPCG", said the department.
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