"Solidarno" Housing Cooperative: The problem is not the Ministry of Education and Science's supervision, the Education Union insulted the cooperative members

The Housing Cooperative of Education Workers of Montenegro "Solidarno" from Podgorica announced that it accepts any type of lawful supervision and control of the spending of funds, including cooperation with the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation (MESI), but that it does not accept the Ministry's institutional participation in management bodies.

They said this in response to an article published on the Vijesti portal on June 7th under the title "They want money, they don't want supervision: The Assembly of the Housing Cooperative "Solidarno" rejected the state's control of millions", stating that the title and some of the claims do not reflect the position of the Assembly of Cooperative Members or the statements of the Cooperative's director.

We transmit their response in full:

"The Director of the Cooperative has already clearly stated that the Cooperative accepts cooperation with the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation, supervision, control, reporting and any legal mechanism for verifying the intended use of funds. This is not his personal position, but the position of the Cooperative Assembly.

The funds of 2,1 million euros, paid under the three-year agreement, were not withheld from the Cooperative nor were they used in a non-transparent manner. Every euro was directed to the cooperative members, in accordance with the decisions of the competent authorities, the rules of the Cooperative and the purpose for which the funds were allocated. Reports on the use of funds were regularly submitted to the Education Union of Montenegro and the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation. Therefore, it is not correct to create the impression that the Cooperative disposed of the money without control. The problem is not supervision — the Cooperative accepts it.

What the Assembly did not accept was the institutional participation of the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation in the governing bodies of the Cooperative, because such a model is not in accordance with applicable laws, Cooperative Rules and Cooperative Principles.

At the Assembly session, out of a total of 90 members present, 76 members voted not to accept the initiative of the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation, 10 members were in favor of the initiative, while 4 members abstained.

So, it is not about the position of an individual, nor the position of the director, but about the decision of the Cooperative Assembly as the highest body of the Cooperative.

The Cooperative expects that the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation and Minister Anđela Jakšić-Stojanović recognize the importance of continued support for educators in resolving housing issues. So far, the Ministry has not announced at the session that funds will be withheld if the Cooperative Assembly does not accept the initiative. On the contrary, in the presence of the Secretary of the Ministry, Mr. Marko Šljukić, the need to continue the conversation and find a model of cooperation that will be acceptable to both parties was discussed.

That is why it is particularly irresponsible when the president of the Education Union of Montenegro, Mr. Radomir Božović, publicly says that he is "not sure" whether the Ministry will want to negotiate after the cooperatives' position.

Such a statement is not a protection of the educational worker, but a pressure on the cooperatives. It sends the message that the educational workers could be punished because, as members of the Assembly, they freely voted on the initiative of the Ministry. It also claims that the educational workers "slapped the Ministry in the face". Such a statement is inappropriate, inaccurate and offensive to the cooperatives. If the President of the Union believes that the free voting of the cooperatives is a "slap" to the Ministry, then the question arises whether he even understands the role of the Cooperative Assembly and the right of the educational workers to decide about their organization.

If the President of the Union claims or suggests that due to such a decision, the Ministry could refuse negotiations or funds, we publicly ask him:

On what basis does he say this?

Did he have conversations with the Ministry in which it was announced that the funds would not be paid? If so, why were the educational workers and cooperative members not informed? If not, why is he spreading fear among the cooperative members?

We also ask:

1) In whose interest is Mr. Božović acting when he presents the Assembly's decision as a rejection of oversight, even though he knows that the Assembly accepted oversight and control, but rejected the Ministry's institutional participation in governance?

2) Is he acting in the interest of the educational worker or in the interest of his own political and union position?

The union should be the first address that protects the educational worker from fear, pressure and blackmail. Instead, the president of the union, with his statements, puts educational workers in a position to fear the consequences of their own vote. When the president of the union attacks a decision made by a majority of 76 members of the Assembly, he is not attacking an individual, he is attacking the will of the cooperative members.

We remind you that the Education Union of Montenegro is not a body of the Cooperative, is not the Assembly of the Cooperative, is not the owner of the Cooperative and is not the founder of the Cooperative in the legal sense that would give it the right to manage the Cooperative. According to the founding documents, the founders of the Cooperative are natural persons — cooperative members. The Union was the initiator, supporter and partner.

The cooperative will not allow the Union to manipulate on its behalf, spread falsehoods about the Assembly's decision, and plant a story among educational workers that they are against supervision.

We also refer to the statements of the former president of the Cooperative Assembly. The claim that his resignation was "forced" does not correspond to the documents. He submitted his resignation in writing and stated in it that he was submitting it for personal reasons. It is not correct that this resignation is now being publicly presented as a forced act, because that is not what emerges from the written document that he himself submitted.

Even more controversial is the fact that the former President of the Assembly publicly expresses the hope that the Ministry will not sign the Agreement. Such an attitude is extremely irresponsible towards educational workers and cooperative members. Someone who has benefited from the Cooperative, and who has held a responsible position in the Cooperative, should not wish for a scenario in which educational workers would be left without funds intended to address housing needs. The Cooperative strongly condemns such statements and such a manner of public appearance.

The real truth is simple: the Cooperative Assembly wants cooperation with the Ministry, wants supervision and control, but has not accepted the institutional participation of the Ministry in the management bodies because this is not in accordance with the law and cooperative principles.

That is the decision of the cooperative members, that is a fact, and that is a position that no one has the right to distort.

"The Solidarno housing cooperative will not allow its reputation, the dignity of cooperative members, and the integrity of educational workers to be undermined by inaccurate headlines, manipulation, and public pressure," the response states.