USSCG: We condemn the new acts of anti-union discrimination against the Independent Police Union

The Union of Free Trade Unions of Montenegro (USSCG) condemned the new acts of anti-union discrimination against the Independent Police Union of Montenegro (NSPCG), which, as they stated, is carried out by the president of the Ethics Committee of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, as well as the head of the cabinet of the Minister of Interior Filip Adžić, Kristina Đukanović.

"It sounds extremely unreal that someone who cares about the ethical work of police officers, only half a year after the event in which he suspects that one of the police officers violated the Code of Police Ethics, is problematizing the issue. It is clear to anyone who can read between the lines that the president of the Ethics The board, on someone's order, continues anti-union discrimination, trying to intimidate the leadership and membership of the NSPCG in their fundamental right to fight for better living and working conditions through union organizing," the statement said.

USSCG asks Prime Minister Dritan Abazović for urgent action and protection from various forms of anti-union discrimination which, as they point out, "employees in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, who are also members of NSPCG, suffer from their superiors".

"It is absurd that anti-union discrimination is carried out in an institution that should be an example of guaranteeing and respecting human rights and for which the rule of law should be the backbone of its work. This is particularly significant for the reason that Montenegro is a country that strives for European integration and that precisely the freedom of trade union organization and activity belongs to the body of basic human rights guaranteed by international regulations such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, International Labor Organization conventions No. 87 and 98 on freedom of association and the right of workers to organize trade unions, and the European Social Charter, which have primacy over national legislation and which have been ratified by Montenegro and transposed into domestic regulations. For this reason, USSCG appeals to the EU Delegation in Montenegro to start its monitoring mechanisms in connection with the mentioned events and draw the attention of competent institutions to the importance of chapters 23 and 24 for further progress of Montenegro on the way to the EU".

The USSCG also calls on the Supreme State Prosecutor to "recognize the elements of a criminal offense in the above-mentioned behaviors and, ex officio, initiate the procedure for determining criminal responsibility".

"The Union of Free Trade Unions of Montenegro expects the competent institutions to approach the urgent solution of this problem and the removal of all irregularities that are currently preventing the freedom of trade union organization and activity in the MUP", the statement concludes.