Pensioners from Bijelo Polje and the north, who are dissatisfied with, as they claim, the state's discriminatory attitude towards former workers from the north who have not achieved their legally guaranteed rights, have scheduled a protest gathering in the city square and a walk to the roundabout near the Bijelo Polje Security Department for November 10 at 12 noon.
They also announced the radicalization of the protests if the Law on the Exercise of the Right to Financial Support for Persons Who Were Employed in Companies in the Mining and Metal Industry Sector from Podgorica and Nikšić, which the Parliament adopted at the proposal of the Government, does not include former workers from the north.
This was announced at a press conference organized by the Bijelo Polje Pensioners' Movement in front of the Municipality building.
The president of the Pensioners' Movement, Svetozar Čabarkapa, said that pensioners from Bijelo Polje and the north are outraged by the discrimination and rejection of their appeal by the Constitutional Court.
"We are asking for the Law to be amended and for all former workers from all sectors to be covered by this Law, as well as the families of deceased former workers who, since 2021, have not waited for the Constitutional Court to resolve their constitutional appeal and exercise the rights that were also guaranteed to them, as well as to former workers from Podgorica and Nikšić," he said.
As they say, if the Government and Parliament of Montenegro do not amend the controversial law, they will radicalize the protests.
"The rejection of the constitutional appeal filed by former workers from the north due to their discrimination clearly shows that the current composition of the Constitutional Court has lost credibility and is making decisions at the behest of the Government and political parties," he said.
Čabarkapa recalled that the Government proposed, and the Parliament voted in 2021, the Law on the Exercise of the Right to Financial Support for Persons Who Were Employed in Companies in the Mining and Metal Industry Sector from Podgorica and Nikšić, while former workers from the north from the same and other sectors, although they have the same conditions, were bypassed.
The pensioners explain that it took the Constitutional Court three and a half years to make a decision, and that it was made after pressure and protests by former workers in front of the Constitutional Court in Podgorica.
Čabarkapa recalled that through a conversation with the President of the Constitutional Court, Snežana Armenko, they received assurances that the constitutional appeal would be accepted, that this was not a problem, but the problem was the damage that would be caused to the Montenegrin budget, which is another reason for their allegations that this Constitutional Court is under control.
"Therefore, we call on Snezhana Armenko to resign, because she has undermined the credibility of the highest state body," said Čabarkapa.
Support for pensioners was also provided by the executive director of the NGO "Euromost" Almer Mekić, who pointed out that so far, around 2.000 retired workers from Bijelo Polje alone have registered, seeking their rights.
"In Bijelo Polje alone, there are around 4.500 former workers and it is clear how pensioners from the north feel when they know that their colleagues from Podgorica and Nikšić received severance pay in the amount of 12 to 13 thousand euros, while they were left with nothing. It is clear that this is discrimination," said Mekić.
Sadik Klimenta from Rožaje also pointed out the difficult position of pensioners who, as workers, did not exercise their employment rights.
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