Protest by former employees of "Košuta": "Đukanović's government sent us down the street..."

Former workers of the footwear factory "Košuta" today blocked traffic on the Cetinje-Podgorica road for 90 minutes as a sign of protest because their demands to have their work experience linked and to pay nine back wages have still not been met.

They took to the streets with these demands last Monday, however, the government has not received any answers, and if the government continues to remain silent, the gathered announce the radicalization of the protest.

Only a few pairs of shoes remain from "Košuta", which at one time produced a million pairs of shoes a year, and part of the assortment was also produced for the Italian market.

Some of them are over 25 years old.

During the "transition" the fashion footwear industry "Košuta", as well as many factories in Cetinje, was closed, and the workers mostly lost their jobs.

They are still looking for justice today, which is not in sight even after 28 years.

"The demands are to pay the nine wages that were reported in the bankruptcy proceedings and to merge the length of service from 1996 to 2001, because these people, as victims of the transition, are unable to exercise their basic right to retire," said Petar Martinović. lawyer of former employees of "Košuta".

"They didn't pay us two salaries from 94, five salaries from 95 and two salaries from 96," said Slobodan Božović, a former employee of "Košuta".

Former workers made the same demands last Monday from Kruševo ždžrijelo, blocking the Cetinje-Podgorica road for an hour, while today's blockade lasted 90 minutes. If the government continues to ignore their problems, they announce the radicalization of the protest.

"The radicalization of the protest can be expected next Monday, and if no one responds, we will be forced to strike every day on Sunday, specifically here at Kruševo džrijel, and then after that, if it does not bear fruit, in front of the government to end it," said Martinović.

"That's why we are saying from this place that we will persevere and that we will not give away what we have earned in blood", said Dijana Vujović, representative of the former employees of "Košuta".

And March 4 is a special day of the year for former workers of "Košuta", because the factory went into bankruptcy then.

"In 96, your government sent us down the street to Đukanović, where we are still disenfranchised, forgotten, but we don't forget," said Vujović.

Desa Kason sends a clear message with the appeal that the prime minister and the president of the country get involved in solving these problems as soon as possible.

"Do I need to come here every day? We have children, we have families, this is really a shame. And simply, if there were elections now, everyone would come to the door for me to vote," Kason said.

For more than three decades, from election to election, workers have been waiting to get what is due to them. And during that time, all the soles would wear out...even those from "Košuta" from Cetinje.