Garić: If you put artists in a situation where they have to choose between the profession they love and their existence, we will be left without culture

The Free Union of Culture is demanding that salaries for employees in the cultural sector be increased, but negotiations on the issue have yet to begin. Another trade union organization, the Union of Culture, says they want an urgent signing of the annex on salaries, rather than lengthy negotiations. While there is no agreement between the two unions, employees in the cultural sector are still waiting for a concrete solution.

Culture in Montenegro has remained on the margins for years, and employees in that sector are among the lowest paid in public administration.

The Free Union of Culture said on Boje jutra on Vijesti Television that negotiations on a new sectoral collective agreement (GKU) have been blocked for 18 months, despite the Ministry of Culture and Media's (MKM) consent to their opening.

Representatives of the Free Trade Union, Vukan Pejović and Petar Garić, say that increasing wages is not the only problem, but also the status of employees, housing issues and the departure of personnel from the cultural sector.

"In December 2024, we initiated the opening of a sectoral collective agreement. The Ministry of Culture quickly responded positively, but to date we have not received the consent of the Culture Union to begin negotiations," said Pejović.

MKM states that they are open to discussing this issue, but neither they nor the representatives of the Culture Union wanted to be guests on Boje jutra.

"People are constantly leaving culture. If you put artists in a situation where they have to choose between the profession they love and their existence, we will be left without culture," Garić warned.

As claimed by the Free Union of Culture, the biggest problem is that negotiations cannot begin without the consent of all three parties - the Ministry of Culture, the Union of Culture, and the Free Union of Culture.

The Culture Union said they do not want "public debates and mutual accusations", but rather an urgent increase in wages through an annex to the collective agreement.

The Free Union of Culture says that their proposal includes at least a 30 percent increase in salaries for all employees in culture.