Yesterday, the assembly of the Housing Cooperative "Solidarno" rejected the proposal of the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation (MESI) to control the money that has been flowing from the state budget into the coffers of the cooperative members for more than two decades, by delegating its representatives to the bodies of that legal entity.
During yesterday's stormy session, the President of the Assembly nihad Krsic resigned, and the Board of Directors of the cooperative was further strengthened with two new members, so there are now 11 of them - nine from the cooperative members who are represented by regions and two from the Education Union, as the founders.
The meeting, the cooperative members told "Vijesti", was also attended by the secretary of the Ministry of National Education and Research. Marko Sljukic who "in a confused and turbulent atmosphere tried to explain the proposed model to a certain section of cooperative members."
"The Ministry of Education and Science absolutely does not say that it will delegate persons exclusively from that department to the Board of Directors of the cooperative. It was precisely explained to the members of the Assembly that these could be members of the cooperative - teachers, secretaries, accountants from schools... The Ministry of Education and Science even supported the position of strengthening the Board of Directors from among the cooperative members. This would mean that the cooperative members would have an overwhelming majority on the Board of Directors, even if representatives of the Ministry of Education and Science were to join. One gets the impression that this situation and the possible interruption of funding from the state budget are in someone's interest," a source told "Vijesti" from the session.
The Union told "Vijesti" that the cooperative members thereby rejected the conclusions of the Main Board of the workers' organization, which had originally established the cooperative, while the former leaders of the cooperative are calling on the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs "not to sign a new agreement with them."
Director of the “Solidarno” cooperative Zoran Stanisic Yesterday, he told "Vijesti" that the Assembly considered and rejected the initiative of the Ministry of National Education and Science to have its representatives in the governing bodies of the Cooperative.
"Out of a total of 90 members of the Assembly present, 76 members voted to reject the initiative, 10 members were in favor of the initiative, while four members abstained," he said.
Stanišić, however, claims that this decision does not mean a refusal to cooperate with that department:
"On the contrary, it was clearly emphasized at the session that further discussions and agreements with the Ministry of National Defense will follow, and such an approach was also agreed upon with the Secretary, Mr. Marko Šljukić, who attended the Assembly session."
Stanišić said that the Cooperative remains open to cooperation, signing the Agreement, payment of funds, reporting and control of the intended spending of money.
"However, the Assembly has taken the position that the management of the Cooperative must remain in accordance with applicable laws, the Cooperative Rules and Cooperative Principles. The Housing Cooperative, therefore, does not reject the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation as a partner, nor does it reject control and transparency. What has been rejected is a model according to which the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation as an institution would have specially designated places for its representatives in the Cooperative's management bodies," he replied.
Stanišić also explained that two new members of the Board of Directors were elected from among cooperative members, from the two largest regions by number of members - one from the central region, which includes Podgorica, Cetinje, Danilovgrad, Zeta and Tuzi, and the other from the region that includes Nikšić, Šavnik and Plužine.
"These are the regions that have the largest number of members, the largest number of requests and the greatest housing needs, so it was justified that their voice be more strongly represented in the body that decides on issues important to all cooperatives," he said.
After yesterday's Assembly session, open questions remained - whether the cooperative members, with their stance, closed the door to the Ministry of Education and Science for negotiations on a future agreement with the Education Union and whether the cooperative, if an agreement on state funding is not reached, will be able to meet its obligations to its members at all.
Based on a three-year agreement signed with the Education Union, the Ministry of Education and Science paid 2,1 million euros to the Cooperative from 2023 until the end of last year, or more than 12,5 million in the 23 years since it was founded.
As of yesterday, former Assembly Speaker Nihad Kršić confirmed to "Vijesti" that the body rejected the model proposed by the Ministry of Education and Science. He says they did so "under the pretext that the state must pay money to the educators, or rather the cooperative."
"I sincerely hope that the Ministry will not sign a new agreement with such a cooperative. If it does, it will show the powerlessness of the state. The cooperative has fallen many times, and the state has helped each time. And now the cooperative members are rejecting the outstretched hand of the Ministry of Education and Science," said Kršić, recalling that the cooperative would not have managed to complete the building for teachers in Budva a few years ago if the government had not helped with a financial injection of 2,5 million euros.
Commenting on his resignation, he emphasized that it was a "forced act."
"It is impossible to cooperate with them," Kršić warned.
Two days ago, he told "Vijesti" that he would do it "if it would solve the problems and improve the status of cooperative members", but also assessed that it was, nevertheless, a "scam" against him because he "started asking awkward questions".
President of the Education Union Radomir Bozovic He is also not sure whether the Ministry of National Education, after this attitude of the cooperatives, will even want to negotiate with that organization regarding a future three-year agreement.
"In this way, the cooperative slapped its partner - the Ministry," Božović assessed.
According to him, the Union, as its founder, warned of the possible consequences if the state withdrew.
"We also expressed concerns regarding the further work of the cooperative, because the money for this year and for the following years has not yet been secured, and the question is whether it will be after this. The situation is only getting more and more complicated," said Božović.
He reiterated that the cooperative is currently waiting for over 1,2 million euros in loans and the construction of apartments has been announced.
"The question justifiably arises as to how so many pending loans will be paid out if there is no cooperation with the Ministry of National Economy and Finance," said Božović.
(Non)transparency of the Cooperative's work, director earns €3.000
Commenting on the situation in the cooperative, Kršić said that the cooperative members only found out yesterday how much the director's salary is.
"It's almost 3.000 euros. In addition, he also receives additional benefits, such as a company car and paid fuel...", warned Kršić.
Stanišić responded that this was not a precise formulation and that it was a calculation that depended on the average salary at the state level.
"The director's salary was not determined arbitrarily, nor did the director set his own salary. It was determined by a decision of the Housing Cooperative's Board of Directors from 2011, which was adopted unanimously."
The decision stated that it was made based on Articles 32 and 33 of the Law on Housing Cooperatives, Article 55 of the Cooperative Rules of the 'Solidarno' Housing Cooperative, and Article 35 of the Rules on Solving the Housing Needs of Cooperative Members.
At its meeting held on October 11, 2011, the Board of Directors adopted a decision setting the monthly net salary for the Director of the Cooperative at two and a half times the average salary at the state level.
"The decision was dated in Podgorica, October 18, 2011, and was signed by the then president of the Board of Directors," Stanišić stated in his response.
He said that the financial report was adopted by a large majority: 82 members voted in favor, five against, while three members abstained.
He claims that all data on income, expenses, operating costs and earnings are presented through the Cooperative's official financial documentation and are reviewed before the competent authorities.
Božović also warned about the lack of transparency in the cooperative's work in a statement to the editorial office two days ago.
He then said that, although the founder, the Education Union has been unable to obtain certain data from the cooperative for years - how much income is generated annually, how much income is from membership fees, loan repayments, how much is the expenditure, what are the obligations towards investors, associates...
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