In 13 Montenegrin municipalities, last year, a total of 85.543,57 euros were paid out through compensation for unused annual leave. The Bar local government compensated nine individuals with 16.796,19 euros. In the Municipality of Ulcinj, a total of 12.185,87 euros were paid out for compensation for unused annual leave, and five employees in Andrijevica received 11.581,38 euros on this basis. In Kolašin, Rožaje and Petnjica in 2025, there were no decisions on paid compensation for unused annual leave.
In the Municipality of Andrijevica, a total of 11.581,38 euros was paid out for unused vacation compensation. To Stamat Šoškić, former acting secretary of the Andrijevica Municipal Council, was awarded 2.149,20 euros for not using his annual leave for 2023. Compensation for damages incurred on this basis was also collected by Milovan Culafic (2.139,39) Dusko Stojanovic (1.369,23) Stojan Mitrovic (3.330,72) and Gorica Zonjic (2.592,84)
In the municipality of Bar, they did not use their annual leave and therefore charged compensation Milica Glavanovic (920,17) Blazenka Srzentic (402,64) Angelina Vucevic (884,50) and Predrag Nikolić (1.000,86). According to the verdicts, they collected damages Miomir Zivkovic (5.047,22) Nenad Jovicević (2.265,60) Saša Leković (2.170,48) Nenad Vuckovic (757,90) and Branko Jelic (3.346,82 euros).
The municipal administration in Bar paid a total of 16.796,19 euros on this basis.
The right to compensation for damage in Berane was exercised by Dragic Milosevic (794,71) Miodrag Lutovac (1.042,12) Vesna Šćepović (935,94) Dubravka Jovancevic (1.925,97) Starry Pesic (1.035,37) Cmiljana Markovic (552,10) Ivanka Bulatovic (447,80) Radmila Gardovic (281,41) Dragan Dabetic (987,19) Izet Djecevic (125,13) i Veselin Dragojevic (1.213,11) A total of 9.340,85 euros was paid out.
In the municipality of Bijelo Polje, only one payment was recorded for unused annual leave, but the user was anonymized in the attached document... Based on the unused 28 working days of annual leave for 2025, an agreement concluded before the Agency for Peaceful Resolution of Labor Disputes, an employee of the Secretariat for Inspection Affairs was paid 1.208,48 euros.
The documents submitted by the Royal Capital of Cetinje contain decisions on the payment of compensation for unused annual leave for 2025, but the amount is not stated anywhere. Sandra Ivanovic, an independent youth advisor at the Secretariat for Education, Sports and Youth, was awarded compensation for 10 working days of annual leave, Jelena Radonjić, the Chief Administrator of the Royal Capital of Cetinje, who did not use, according to the decision, 31 working days of annual leave for 2024 and 12 days for 2025, and Igor Rudovic, Head of the Public Relations Office, received compensation for 22 working days of annual leave for 2025.
In the municipality of Gusinje, two decisions were made in 2025 on compensation for not using annual leave. Miftar Balidemaj received 1.517,04 euros, and Rakib Radoncic 2.720,80 euros.
In 2025, the Herceg Novi local government allocated a total of 7.740,91 euros from the budget for compensation for unused annual leave. Aleksandar Božović he received 1.011,38 euros net, and the benefits were paid out and Daria Banicevic (915,68) Jadranka Tomašević (1.059,32) Jelena Djuraskovic (757,17) Vladimir Pejović (1.854,18) and Zorica Begović (2.143,18)
The documentation submitted by the Municipality of Kotor does not specify the amounts of money for these benefits. The decisions approve the right and state the number of working days, with an explanation and legal basis, but without the amount to be paid. Suzana Radulović requested compensation for the unused 10 working days from vacation in 2024 and 30 working days from last year's vacation. Compensation was also received on this basis by Dubravka Mršulja (19 working days), Vjekoslava Brguljan (15 working days), Vasilije Proročić (36 working days) and Zoran Dragović (28 working days from 2018)
In 2025, the Municipality of Mojkovac spent 6.084,51 euros on compensation for not using annual leave. Individually, Dragoje Marković 1.104,52 euros were paid, Miloje Krgovic received 1.082,45 euros, and they also received compensation Vukic Fustic, who was paid 1.122,02 euros for unused vacation days in 2025, and was compensated with another 2.775,52 euros through an out-of-court settlement for 2024.
There was only one payment on this basis in Plužine. The exact amount paid has been deleted/anonymized, so it is not known how much was paid. Nedeljko Jovović for unused 13 days of annual leave in 2025.
The capital city allocated 8.579,38 euros for this type of fee in 2025. It charged the most Vučić Cetković. He received a total of 4.241,15 euros for the unused 81 days of annual leave from 2020 to 2023. In addition to him, this compensation was received by Dusan Radonjic (968,22) Snezana Janković (550,99) Djurdjina Markovic (1.174,00) Vanja Vuković (officer in the Directorate for the Protection of Property and Public Interests of the Capital City - 971,90) and Your Cicmil (673,12 euros).
In Tuzi, only compensation was paid in 2025. Nikola Berishajin, previously an independent consultant for the maintenance of the Municipality's website, in the General Affairs Sector in the Office of the President. He received 729,82 euros for 16 days of unused annual leave.
In Tivat, in 2025, compensation for unused annual leave was paid, totaling 3.684,92 euros. The largest single payment was for Rita Mitrovic - 1.979,07 euros, with the indication that this is compensation for unused annual leave for 2023 and 2024.
Among the payments are those related to the mutual termination of employment: Silvani Kubicek 477,32 euros were paid, and Elvis Brkan 481,84 euros,
The same package of documents also includes a solution for Vedran Bozinovic, who was recognized as entitled to compensation for 10 days of annual leave from 2025 and two days from 2024, and the pay slip indicated "for payment" 633,98 euros.
In Ulcinj, 12.185,87 euros were paid out. At the request of the former mayor of the municipality Andrijan Mavrić, for 28 working days in 2023 and 15 working days in 2024, 2.134.67 euros were paid. Zećarija Sulejmanović, Secretary of the Secretariat for Agriculture, Rural Development and Ecology, received 1.439,64 euros on the same basis, and Ivan Karađinović, the Municipality Manager, was paid 1.150,08 euros. Omer Barjaktari, also a former mayor, received a total of 2.597,92 euros for unused vacation days from 2022 to 2024, and Very good Dedic on the same basis 1.589,71 euros. Brahim Leši, Head of the Human Resources Management Sector, was compensated with 1.714,15 euros, as well as Mustafa Goran, Secretary of the Secretariat for Communal Activities and Property Protection who received 1.559,70 euros.
Only one decision was made on this basis in Žabljak. An employee (name anonymized) in the Secretariat for Administration and Social Affairs was paid 1.535,52 euros for unused 56 days of annual leave from 2023, 2024, and 2025.
Two decisions were issued in Zeta. Nebojsa Domazetovic, The president of the Municipal Assembly received 1.154,20 euros, and Mladen Vujacic, senior clerk-doorman, 683,70 euros.
In Kolašin, Rožaje and Petnjica in 2025, there were no decisions on paid compensation for unused annual leave.
Mrdović: An elaborate mechanism
Ines Mrdović, director of the Action for Social Justice (ASP), believes that compensation for not using annual leave is not in line with work ethics and that there is no rational reason for an employee not to take annual leave.
"In any case, this is a significant amount. However, this is not surprising when you know that in previous years this was an elaborate mechanism to prevent people from going on vacation (who could afford it), or to deny it (less often), and then collect it later within the authorities, or often through court proceedings (where lawyers are the ones who get it best), Mrdović points out.
She recalls that the current Labor Law stipulates that “an employee may not waive the right to annual leave, nor may this right be denied to him”, and that “the right to annual leave may not be replaced by monetary compensation, except in the case of termination of employment”. This position is now quite clear and should address negative practices.
Regarding the practice of requesting compensation and unused vacations from several years ago, the ASP director says that it was practically an elaborate mechanism.
"It was convenient for managers or executives, or employees close to them, to receive financial compensation for not using their annual leave. We should also remember the media-exposed examples of individual directors, who practically decide for themselves when to take their leave, suing for not using their leave after leaving office, just to receive compensation," Ines Mrdović points out.
In her opinion, part of the problem lies in the fact that decisions on vacation were often not even issued, or in the lack of records on the use of annual vacations by employers, which later opened the door to court proceedings, in which lawyers received the lion's share of the pie (representation costs).
The "Vijesti" editorial team obtained the data for this article using the MANS application "Ask the Institutions".
Bonus video:
