Minister of Labor, Employment and Social Dialogue Naida Nišić said that a comprehensive agreement has been reached on all requests from representatives of organizations that protect the rights of persons with disabilities (PWDs) with whom discussions were held today on the Law on Professional Rehabilitation and Employment of PWDs.
"The specific goal of the meeting is that in the coming period we will withdraw this Draft Law and a new working group will be formed... All NGOs that wish to be part of the process will be."
She said that they had also submitted certain legal deadlines. She added that the conclusion of the meeting was the same for everyone.
Nišić announced that a public call for a new working group will be issued tomorrow.
"A two-month deadline has been set for the new draft law..." said Nišić.
Radenko Lacmanović (Union of the Blind of Montenegro) said that he hopes that PWDs will receive a good and high-quality law that will be in their interest, "employers, as well as the state itself."
He said that they also expect a positive attitude from the Ministry of Finance.
"If the Ministry of Finance's position is negative, we will consider that the third request has not been met. Then we will organize a new protest, this time, at this address. I hope that will not come to that," Lacmanović added.
He said that he would have a good law and added that he hoped "that we will have it in the fall." Lacmanović emphasized that all representatives of non-governmental organizations are against limiting wage subsidies, and that a new working group will deal with this.
The Cabinet of Prime Minister Milojko Spajić confirmed that an agreement has been reached to work together on the new Draft Law on Professional Rehabilitation and Employment of Persons with Disabilities.
"Representatives of the Government - the Office of the Prime Minister, the Ministry of Labor, Employment and Social Dialogue, the Ministry of Finance, the Employment Agency and representatives of associations of persons with disabilities and the Union of Employers of Montenegro, at today's meeting held in the Government, reached an agreement on starting a new process of drafting the Draft Law on Professional Rehabilitation and Employment of Persons with Disabilities.
As concluded at the meeting, the Ministry of Labor, Employment and Social Dialogue will issue a public call tomorrow for the nomination of at least three NGO representatives from among representative organizations of persons with disabilities to participate in the Working Group for the Draft Law," the statement said.
It is added that it was agreed that the deadline for drafting the Draft Law would be two months from the date of formation of the Working Group, and if necessary, it could be extended.
"Also, tomorrow, the Ministry of Labor, Employment and Social Dialogue will inform representatives of associations of persons with disabilities about the deadline for submitting the Rulebook on the conditions, criteria and procedure for exercising the right to subsidies for publication in the Official Gazette, with the expectation that it will be published by the end of April.
"As concluded at the meeting, the common goal is to find and define the best solutions that will further improve and regulate the rights and obligations under this law," the statement concludes.
Representatives of organizations that protect the rights of people with disabilities and the Government began talks on the controversial law earlier today.
The proposed draft law reduces subsidies on their earnings, which would amount to a maximum of 1.200 euros.
They therefore organized a protest on March 19th, which was temporarily suspended with the Government's promise to hold talks with representatives of PWDs.
The executive director of the Association of Youth with Disabilities, Marina Vujačić, told "Boje jutra" on TV Vijesti yesterday that, if the talks with institutions do not bring concrete results, more radical steps and new protests will follow.
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