Representatives of Montenegrin institutions signed today the Protocol on cooperation, which provides for the formation of a Commission that will deal with abuses of the right to sick leave.
The protocol was signed by representatives of the Ministries of Health and Labor and Social Welfare, the Union of Employers, funds for health and pension and disability insurance, the Federation of Trade Unions and the Union of Free Trade Unions.
The Minister of Health, Miodrag Radunović, said that he believes that, with the formation of the Commission, which will be composed of representatives of all institutions that are signatories to the Protocol, order will be introduced in the issuing of sick leave.
Radunović said that the main indications for going on sick leave are pregnancy, injuries, bone diseases and mental disorders.
"There is a trend of decreasing sick leave from 2007 to 2011, and a slight increase was recorded in 2012 and last year," Radunović said after signing the Protocol.
According to him, last year there were 9.720 cases of sick leave, stating that this is less than in 2012, but that the number of lost days has increased.
"Last year, there were 881 lost days due to sick leave, 60 days more than in 2012," said Radunović.
He said that the main indications for going on sick leave are pregnancy, injuries, bone diseases and mental disorders.
Radunović said that, last year, the Health Insurance Fund paid out a refund of close to five million euros, one million more than in 2012.
"There has been serious financial discipline. "Employers started paying contributions for health insurance for employees, and after the contributions were paid, the conditions for a refund were met," explained Radunović.
As he assessed, the Commission that will be formed will lead to the improvement of regulations for the control of temporary incapacity for work.
"I believe that this Commission will succeed in making a qualitative analysis of sick leave up to 30 days, because it is still unknown to us," said Radunović.
Bošković: Disability to work quite confusing
The Minister of Labor and Social Welfare, Predrag Bošković, said that the issue of incapacity for work created a lot of confusion and dilemmas in the employer-employee relationship, because, as he stated, it was often used in a way that was neither prescribed by law nor foreseen by moral principles.
"I can imagine how it is with employers, when we in the ministries had several examples where it was abused in the most brutal way. We have had people who take sick leave today and go on cruises or long trips tomorrow," said Bošković.
The President of the Union of Employers, Predrag Mitrović, recalled that sick leave was a major business barrier for employers, which, as he stated, all surveys in recent years showed how big a problem it was.
"In the end, we agreed that this is not only a problem for employers, but also for unions and the entire society," Mitrović said.
He said that part of the administration in healthcare will no longer be able to create such problems and give "false" sick leave, "because it will be reduced to the smallest measure".
The interest of trade unions to protect workers
The General Secretary of the Union of Free Trade Unions, Srđa Keković, said that the interest of the Union is to protect all workers who, due to misuse of sick leave, have to take on the obligations of their colleagues.
He announced an initiative that will prevent abuse of the right to a day off.
When asked by journalists how the Commission should work and whether it will deal with individual cases, Bošković said that the body will not deal with special cases, but, as he stated, will look for a systemic solution.
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