USSCG: Protest in Tivat on the day of the EU-Western Balkans summit, the government is not listening to OKU and higher salaries

The government has suspended social dialogue and is not listening to the demands of unions seeking the adoption of the General Collective Agreement (GCA) and an increase in salaries for all employees, which is why the Union of Free Trade Unions of Montenegro (USSCG) will organize a protest on June 5 in Tivat.

The protest is scheduled to coincide with the European Union (EU) - Western Balkans Summit being held in the city, where officials from all EU countries will gather.

"The Union of Free Trade Unions of Montenegro, as a responsible, principled and determined organization, yesterday at the session of the Executive Board, which has the authority of the Main Board as the highest body to make decisions on further activities, convinced of the justification of our demands, the fact that the state has money for everything, except for increasing the salaries of employees, carried by the facts that indicate that we have been deceived in the process so far, we unanimously decided that we will organize a protest rally in Tivat on June 5, 2026," said Ivana Mihajlović, Deputy Secretary General of the USSCG, at today's press conference.

The USSCG will simultaneously send a protest note to the European Commission, as well as to the European Union Office in Montenegro, to point out the Government's unwillingness to sign the General Agreement on Labor Relations, which has brought into question the fundamental rights from work and based on work for over 100.000 employees.

"If the new General Conditions and the increase in the calculation value of the coefficient are not signed by the date of the Social Council session planned for June 10, the Union of Free Trade Unions will review and most likely make a decision on further participation in the work of bipartite and tripartite bodies in which social dialogue is conducted," said Mihajlović.

The unions demanded the signing of the General Collective Agreement and an increase in the basic value of the coefficient from 90 to 100 euros, which the Government and employers did not agree to. The General Collective Agreement ceased to be valid on the Labor Day holiday of May 1st.