The Independent Police Union (NSP) announced that the decision of the Government of Montenegro to set aside 1.800.000 euros to solve the housing issues of security sector officers is questionable from the point of view of equality.
They said that, on the other hand, the Government's decision to allocate 1.800.000 euros for solving the housing issues of security sector officials is commendable and that they highly appreciate that move.
However, as stated in the statement of the Independent Police Union, what is disputed is the way in which it is intended to be done.
The announcement that, as they say, the money will be paid only to the Union of Security Institutions (SBI) is questionable, viewed from the point of view of equality, due to at least two very obvious facts:
- Not all officers of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Police Administration are members of the trade union that is an integral part of the SBI. A significant number of employees are members of other unions in the MUP.
- A certain number of security sector officials are not members of any trade union.
"Do these people deserve to solve the housing issue with their families? Certainly. Did these people deserve to be helped by the state? Absolutely. Do the prime minister and the minister intend to affirm discrimination with this move? We sincerely hope not," he says. in the statement, signed by the president of the Independent Police Union, Igor Rmandić
If, as they state, we focus on the SBI itself, we will come across many very problematic details and questions.
This, as the NSP calls it a "phantom organization", does not even have its headquarters, no one knows its organization and who are the people who sit in the bodies of that union.
Even though, as they claim, the members of the Trade Union of the Police Administration do not know, even if they have asked dozens of times for answers to these and many other questions.
"What are the acts on the basis of which they work and how they are financed is also unknown. That they have money is shown by the property record of the president of the Trade Union of the Police Administration, where he reported compensation for work in the Trade Union of Security Institutions in the amount of 500 euros per month," the statement added. .
What, as they point out, they know for sure is that the main preoccupation of SBI is the construction business in Montenegro.
"Build as many apartments as possible with as little investment as possible, and then sell them to police officers at bargain prices. So much for trade unionism, sacrifice and solidarity," said the NSP.
According to them, the construction scheme has been worked out to the smallest detail.
They add that there is suspicion of rigged tenders, procrastination and constant keeping of colleagues in suspense, their open blackmail and finally sales at unrealistic and inflated prices.
"We mustn't forget that in most cases the municipalities allocated plots of land for free, while the state provided significant financial assistance. In addition to all that, the Union of the Police Administration, i.e. its members, bore a huge financial burden. Police officers paid dearly for their residential square meters, and the contractor in addition to money, he necessarily received apartments as compensation. This is a special part of the story about the SBI, which, we sincerely hope, will be "combed" by some conscientious prosecutor. The evidence exists, it's just a matter of will. We are sure that there will be work for both him and the court." , the announcement states.
What they claim is also interesting is that he is a member of the SBI and the Police Academy Union.
They point out that it is unclear how he ended up in the security sector if that institution works under the auspices of the Ministry of Education?
They state that SBI is an organization, i.e. a legal entity that does not have its own property, functions and lives "on the backs" of member unions (especially the Police Administration Union) and serves exclusively for housing construction, participating in million-dollar projects without any control.
"Having all this in mind, we are really surprised that the Secretary of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Mr. Mirko Kovačević, who is visiting Montenegrin cities these days with the president of the Trade Union of the Police Administration, who is also the president of the SBI and, as he says, works for the police, is also participating in a story like this." , they say from the NSP.
They believe that giving legitimacy to "extremely dubious SBI projects" can only harm the reputation and authority of Kovačević, but they cannot influence his personal decisions, as they state.
However, as they point out, it would be very interesting to hear how Kovačević, in addition to so many problems facing police officers (low wages, lack of uniforms, training, equipment, poor legal protection, no collective agreement...) decided to help them in the field of housing?
"If, together with SBI, he will offer us union apartments in Igalo for 1550 e/m2 or in Bar for 1250 e/m2, we thank him for his efforts. We have that on the free market," the statement said.
All that, as they state, but also many other things should worry Prime Minister Dritan Abazović and Minister of Internal Affairs, Filip Adžić.
They are invited to think once again about the model by which this support will be realized and the way in which the money will be paid, before the announced signing of the agreement, not to divide people and discriminate, to be equal to everyone.
"If we are allowed, we would also give one honest advice to both. Do not fall for it and do not participate in the game that others have already very cunningly designed and elaborated. The officers in the security sector deserve a much fairer relationship from their unions than they have received so far they had. Don't kill that hope," the statement concluded.
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