With the Law on the Labor Fund, which was unanimously adopted by the Parliament yesterday, the state assumes responsibility and becomes the guarantor of justice for those workers whose pension and disability insurance contributions have remained unpaid due to the closure or insolvency of their former employers.
This was announced by Socialist People's Party (SNP) MPs Slađana Kaluđerović and Bogdan Božović, who jointly proposed the bill.
As they explained, the state will pay contributions through the Labor Fund only for the part of the working years that employees lack to achieve the right to a pension.
"This is not a gift, this is the return of what belonged to workers - dignity and security in old age. People who have invested their efforts in this country for decades must not be left to the injustice of the system and the negligence of former administrations. The state is not just an observer, but an active guardian of the rights of its citizens," said MP Kaluđerović.
She said that this law sends a clear message that no one will be forgotten and that workers who have "built this country for decades" deserve to retire "without obstacles that arose through no fault of their own."
"Our obligation is to right the wrong and show that the social contract is sacred. Pension is not just a personal right, but a social responsibility – the state will not allow workers to grow old in poverty because they are not to blame for the failure of their companies," said Božović.
They expressed gratitude to the institutions that "with their professional approach contributed to the creation" of the law - the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare, the Labor Fund, the Central Bank, and the Tax Administration, saying that their cooperation, efficiency, and constructive approach were significant in the process.
"This law is an expression of social solidarity and maturity - it does not open up space for abuses, does not create an additional burden on the budget, but is directed towards those who need help the most. It is a law that restores hope and provides security to many families in Montenegro," the statement reads.
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