The President of the Board of Directors (BOD) of the municipal company Vodovod, Goran Marić, launched an initiative to dismiss two members of the BOD on behalf of the founder, which caused strong opposition from some of the employees in that collective.
"This morning, we were informed by the executive director that the president of the Board of Directors of the Company, Goran Marić, has launched an initiative to remove two members of the Board of Directors who are in our Company on behalf of the Founder (i.e. Radovan Anđelić of the Democrat Party and Dejan Čavić of the PES Party). All of this would not surprise us if the Company were to show poor business results or any other negative characteristics. We will not engage in politics because the Company employs workers who belong to different political and religious organizations and we respect everyone's affiliation, but we hereby inform you that in this case we are united and that you can no longer divide us on these grounds," the statement from the two members of the Board of Directors on behalf of the employees, Jovan Bujišić and Predrag Ljiljanić, states.
They pointed out that political games are playing on the backs of workers.
"This is the last straw, after which, if the situation does not stabilize, work will be suspended in the shortest possible time, all in accordance with legal provisions and our rights, because we have been brought to the edge of patience. For years, we have been trying to balance the relations between different political options, all in favor of the sustainability and survival of the company. The aforementioned events will be the trigger for radical measures that we will implement in an organized manner in the coming period if you persist in your intentions. Therefore, we have been put in a situation where, due to the selfishness and arrogance of political actors and individuals, we will behave, live and work to destroy everything we fought for ourselves," the statement reads.
They ask the leaders of the Democrats and PES why they are tearing down well-laid foundations now that they have finally stepped on a green branch.
"Why do the members of the Company's Board of Directors suddenly bother you? Were they good to you when Vodovod was in crisis and when no one else wanted to enter Vodovod except them? Do you mind the results that are phenomenal and were achieved for the first time in several decades? Do you mind the positive financial report of the Company for the year 2024? Do you mind the positive auditor's report that confirms success and progress in all business parameters? Do you mind that for the first time in the last 25 years in the month of June, we don't have water shut off Do you mind that the workers are finally satisfied with their working conditions and that they are paid regularly with contributions? Do you mind the fact that the obligations to suppliers are settled regularly? And at the end, we ask you that the CEO of the Company, who fought for all of the above, did not bother you in a statement.
They said that the workers agree to remove the chairman of the Board of Directors, Goran Marić, "and leave the others to do their jobs in peace."
"Politics may allow you to play with someone's lives and destinies, but believe us, our methods for fighting politics will reflect on everyone in the municipality of Pljevlja, so we ask you if you are ready to bear responsibility for all of this. The public does not know what we know. And silence is only and exclusively our good will," said the representatives of the workers on the Board of Directors.
Reacting to the statement by Bujišić and Ljiljanić, Marić said that he initiated the replacement of the members of the Board of Directors on behalf of the founders, not the employees.
"I am not surprised by the reaction of the two members of the Board of Directors who were appointed on behalf of the employees, but for the sake of the public, I did not initiate the dismissal of any member of the Board of Directors on behalf of the employees, but on behalf of the Founder. Gentlemen, you were elected by the employees and I respect that, but it is also fair not to interfere in the personnel decisions of the founders. I initiated the proposal for the dismissal of two members of the Board of Directors in order to improve business in the challenging times that await the Company on the one hand and to put a stop to the waste of resources and idleness. One of the members of the Board is being dismissed by mutual agreement, because due to his work engagement in another city, he is not in a position to attend the meetings and that is, we will agree indisputably. For the other member, I proposed the dismissal in accordance with the authorizations from the Statute, due to continuous initiatives in the direction of wasting money with a very questionable legal basis, such as the initiative for a bonus on the CEO's salary in advance of 30 percent, every month until the end of the term. For a start, this is quite sufficient, not to mention the prolonged abuses and "Today, when he, in violation of the Statute and the law, scheduled a meeting of the Company's Board of Directors, which is a first-class scandal," Marić said in his reaction.
He stated that he was surprised that representatives of both unions tolerated and gave support and legitimacy to wastefulness at Board meetings.
"It remains unclear how workers support non-domestic expenses in the form of 'using a private vehicle for official purposes', an item that costs the company several thousand on a monthly basis. Obviously, this item is taken literally, and as a responsible person I do not want to participate, vote and sign for illegal and non-domestic business. For me, workers come first and the company's money, which we must treat in a homely manner and with the care of good businessmen. Personnel changes for the better are healthy, useful and I am convinced that the Founder, the Pljevlja Municipal Assembly, will bring personnel changes in the best interest of the Company. I am more than aware of the difficult situation Vodovod is in, and I believe that you are too. In this situation, we are on the same task, preserving the stability of the company and providing services to all households in the city. I do not want to believe that you, as responsible people, will try to cover up all these things that are happening in the company, which you are also aware of, by attacking me. Without wanting to justify it, I vote and sign, I believe that you will also "We join in that intention, all for the benefit of the company, workers and consumers," Marić said in his response.
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