Union of the Capital City: Our members exposed to unfounded pressure and mobbing by the city administration

The trade union organization of local government bodies - the capital Podgorica condemned, as it stated, the months-long persecution and discrimination of the members of their trade union organization and its president Željko Krgović by the administration of the capital city, as well as "the unscrupulous and illegal actions of the secretary of the Secretariat for Local Self-Government and Cooperation with civil society, Slađane Anđušić".

"Our members are constantly exposed to unfounded pressures, mobbing and baseless legal attacks, which culminated in an attempt to illegally fire the president of the Trade Union Organization. This clearly indicates a calculated campaign of retaliation and an attempt to suppress trade union activities. The trade union is taking all legal steps to protect the membership and stand in defense of the right of employees to work and free trade union organizing. The showdown with the members and the president of the trade union clearly shows the continuous interference of the Capital City Administration in the autonomy of the trade union, which seriously threatens the rights guaranteed by the Constitution of Montenegro and international conventions," the announcement states.

They also add that while Anđušić is "running a hunt for the president and members of the union", he is simultaneously posting advertisements for new jobs every day.

"Over the past two to three months, over 80 advertisements have been published, which indicates that it deals with taking care of the eligible, while at the same time trying to eliminate trade unionists and defenders of workers' rights. The persecution of members of our organizations began in December 2023, when the union took measures to prevent the reduction of wages of employees in the capital. Since then, we have witnessed numerous attempts to replace the union president, mobbing members, and political interference in our work, which is contrary to all the principles of a democratic society. Unfortunately, the management of Podgorica, in the middle of the election campaign, uses its powers to destabilize the only legitimate organization that defends the rights of employees," claim the Trade Union Organization of Local Government Bodies.

They add that it is particularly symptomatic that, "on the same day that Anđušić tried to illegally fire the president of the union, all our members were sent a notice about the formation of a new union, with pressure to join it."

"Such actions clearly show an attempt to create a 'dormant union' through manipulation that will serve the interests of the government and the unemployed," the announcement reads.

The use of administrative procedures as a weapon for targeted attacks on union members, they say, represents "abuse of power by Andušić".

"Procedural mechanisms that should ensure the legality of labor relations are now used to discredit and remove the union leader and members, in order to achieve personal goals. This is not only illegal, but also immoral, because the state and resources are misused to settle accounts with individuals who advocate for workers' rights. The union will take all legal steps to protect our members and defend their rights to work and organize freely. We call on the competent institutions to urgently investigate these actions and sanction those responsible for obvious abuses of their positions." in the announcement.