Time machine: The widening gap between the rich and the poor

The waste of money from the state budget and the government's lack of concern for the needs of employees and their families are the main reasons why the economic crisis has already arrived in Montenegro, even though the ruling structures only reluctantly admit it.

Such a situation was shown by the "Analysis of the economic and social position of employees and the consequences of the current economic crisis on the standard of citizens", which was carried out by the Union of Free Trade Unions of Montenegro (USS).

USS General Secretary Srđa Keković said that the gap between the rich and the poor in Montenegro is increasing, but that it is not known exactly how many are poor, because such research was last conducted in 2006, when it was determined that more than 71.000 citizens spend less of 144,68 euros per month, which is the lower threshold of the absolute poverty line.

- We have analyzed some basic reasons and we believe that the problem is also the lowest labor price, which has not been changed since January 2007, and then it was increased from 50 to 55 euros. Since then, there have been conspiratorial negotiations between the "social partners" who have not yet found arguments that the price is increasing, even though those five euros are the only increase since July 2000 until today - said Keković.

The consumer basket on the basis of which the needs of a family of four are calculated and calculates how much the lowest labor price should be, as he stated, is still "wartime" containing 65 items and is far from the European consumer basket which has 250 or more items.

- We started the initiative to urgently create a consumer basket, we asked for the formation of a working group in which there would be representatives of the Government, both trade unions, the Chamber of Commerce, the employers' association, Monstat and the Institute of Health. Although a year has passed since then, no one reacted - said Keković.

Uncontrolled and non-domestic spending of budget funds were the subject of a detailed analysis by trade unionists.

- Increasing the administration, opening a large number of agencies, directorates and administrations that only represent a large expenditure. The budget foresees very vague items for those institutions, in which it is impossible to know how much is spent. There are also "capital expenditures" that no one knows what they are, and it is a huge amount of money. Confirmation for our story is the latest finding of the State Audit Institution, which revealed that there are 18 million euros in several ministries that were not shown in the final budget as surplus or savings, but were transferred to special commercial accounts. According to what right and for what purposes, of course no one asked them - said Keković, reminding that the Ministry of Defense has four million euros left over from privatization that they did not report and that this question also remained undefined.

- We can only guess how much money there is that has not yet been found - he believes.

As he stated, it is planned to create 75 new jobs in the Assembly, to renovate the hall that was completely renovated two years ago, to buy nine new cars, and to build a new Assembly building for which a location is being sought.

- One of the examples of such arrogant behavior towards money from the budget is the Architecture Biennale in Venice, which was attended by as many as five of our ministers, we can guess how many subordinates accompanied them - said Keković.

According to the USS, the purchase of official cars that are mostly used for private purposes is an example of wasting citizens' money.

- This was done most recently by people from the Fund for Solidarity Housing Construction, which is led by the "social partners" SSCG, UPCG and the Assistant Minister of Health, Labor and Social Welfare. They bought three cars for 150.000 euros, of which one for the primus was 65.000 euros, and for the seconds, 45 and 40.000 euros each. This is how they treat our funds from the fund from which apartments for the homeless in Montenegro should be built - said Keković, and added that at the Madonna concert you could see them using official vehicles.

In the analysis, the salaries in the Board of Directors of Željeznica, the severance pay for their members of the board of directors, as well as the member of the Board of Directors of the Brown Coal Mine in Pljevlje, who received around 120.000 euros for two years of work, and parliamentary salaries, the lowest of which was 1.130 euros in April, were also highlighted in the analysis. without additional fees. Inefficient privatizations and reforms, as well as the agreement on the reduction of compensation for vacation and hot meals for the year 2008, were cited as an example of illegal "savings" at the expense of employees' earnings of 45 euros per year. It is assumed that employers will save around 4,5 to five million euros on this basis. The consequences brought by the neoliberal Labor Law, the attitude of the Labor Inspectorate and other competent institutions towards the events in KAP, Foundry, KC, dentists....

- The reason is the lack of responsibility at all levels. This could not be seen in the last 20 years - said Keković.

That the economic crisis is already present, as he said, is also shown by the closing of construction facilities, the announcement of a bad tourist season, the reduction of production in KAP, the closing of consumer credit lines for citizens, the collapse of the tender for the sale of the Tobacco Plant and the uncertain fate of more than 1.000 workers. ..

- The employees must fight not for a decrease but for an increase in wages during 2009, because they are already at the lower threshold of endurance, and there is money for that from the reserves that we highlighted. The government must prevent further erosion of the economy, increase the purchasing power of citizens by increasing wages, social benefits and preserving credit lines, rationalize its own consumption, increase the fight against corruption, economic crime, unjust enrichment and fight against nepotism and corruption and open up space for professional work staff - recommendations are USS.

Prices rose from 100 to 500 percent

In the Analysis, the "enormous increase in the prices of goods and services in the last year and a half" was also discussed, and it was concluded that in recent years everything has become more expensive by 100 to 500 percent. - The last year has rapidly threatened our standard and basic food, utilities, telecommunication services, fuel, registration, tenant rents and the like have grown rapidly, and the lowest price of labor has not - said Keković, adding that "the political price that is conducted in Montenegro Burning is definitely at the expense of consumers". - The price of oil on the world stock markets fell, but there was no reduction in price here at all because of that, even though that price during many increases was the basic excuse to increase the prices of goods and services, an example is the price of bread - said Keković.

Electricity is three times more expensive than in the region

Keković said that the price of electricity in Montenegro is three times more expensive than in the countries of the region. - The last increase in the price of electricity, which was about nine percent, is who knows which one in a series that has befallen us in recent years. In the last month alone, the price of electricity in the countries of the European Union has decreased from 85 euros per megawatt hour to 55 euros. At that very moment, it increased by 10 percent in our country and was "fixed" for the next 12 months. The state's response, with the consent of our colleagues from another trade union, is to subsidize the bills of 180.000 families in order to reduce the impact on family budgets. And there was some confusion here, because Monstat says that there are about 180.000 family households in Montenegro, and the Government said that it will subsidize 170 to 180.000 out of 300.000 households. Nobody knows where the extra 120.000 came from and how Monstat missed it - Keković pointed out. While the Government subsidizes citizens, as he said, Elektroprivreda recapitalizes one bank for 6,5 million euros. - The question arises, if all households in Montenegro should be subsidized, why didn't the government directly give that money to EPCG, why didn't it spare us so that we don't have to be sick, busy and burdened to go to the counters and the bureaucracy to give us various forms and ask for numerous statistics . In the end, we will reach a situation, as during the previous subsidy action, that only 30 percent of the households that were scheduled for subsidies have used that right - he said.