The owners of the company "Helada Mont", which in addition to wholesale and retail, also have three hotels - Trebjesa and Yugoslavia in Nikšić and Helada in Tivat, do not intend to lay off workers even though they are in a difficult situation due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
"We have about 70 employees in three hotels. We decided to keep all the employees, so we extended the contracts of those whose contracts had expired, as well as the workers who had announced to us that they would go to the coast in the summer. We want to show solidarity with the employees as much as we can, because workers in tourism are particularly affected", company director Vojislav Milović told "Vijesta".
According to him, the employees were informed about the situation in the company in a circular letter that was sent to everyone by email.
"We reduced this salary by 20 percent, and the rest will be at the level of the minimum wage in Montenegro. "We don't want to reduce the number of workers, but we want to be with them in this situation, but the losses are big, so we won't be able to pay more than the minimum wages," Milović said. As he pointed out, Nikšić has recorded a 50 percent increase in overnight stays for the last two years, so the company's losses are large, not counting the losses that follow when it comes to the season on the coast, but at this moment, as he said, health is the most important .
"The most important thing is to preserve people's health". In 2011, the company "Helada mont" bought Trebjesa from the former HTP Onogošt for 420.000 euros. The hotel has kept its old appearance, and more than one million euros were invested in its renovation. It was reopened in April 2012, the day after marking six years since the death of its creator, Slobodan Vukajlović.
Hotel Yugoslavia is the former Sindčel, which Helada Mont bought from the state at an auction in July 2017, at a price of 833.135 euros. For now, as Milović said, the company has not used the loan freeze offer because they use money for earnings from reserves and credit lines, but they will see if they will have to use one of the offers from the Investment and Development Fund.
"We currently have retail stores in Budva, Kotor and Tivat. About 30 workers are employed in retail, and of course we will not reduce their wages. They are particularly exposed to risk, and their working hours are in accordance with the recommendations of the National Coordinating Body. As for wholesale, where we have about forty workers, business has stopped by about 70 percent. Their working hours have been shortened, from 8 a.m. to 13 p.m., and their wages will be reduced by 20 percent," Milović said.
He pointed out that until now "Helada Mont" has been a very stable company and that he hopes it will remain so, as well as that the situation will quickly normalize and the economy will slowly begin to recover.
There is hope to save something from the season
It is thankless to forecast the season, but we all live in hope that this will pass quickly. If, as announced, it lasts until June 1, there is still hope to save something from the season, Milović said.
He reminds that Montenegro has been a very popular tourist destination in recent years.
"I think that this summer there will be mostly domestic tourists, because all countries invite the population to spend the summer in their country, in order to help the domestic economy. I think there will also be a drop in prices".
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