Montenegrin teachers launch strike demanding 10% pay hike

"We are asking only for what we have already agreed two years ago and what we signed back then as a collective agreement for the sector, i.e. that our wages are raised by 10% as of January 2024," the head of the trade union, Radomir Bozovic, told a news conference in the weekend. A video file with his statement is uploaded on the union's facebook page.

Bozovic explained that at the end of last year, it became clear that the agreed increase of the teachers' wages was not provided for in this year's state budget. The union immediately launched talks with the government and the education ministry but since the parties failed to reach an agreement, the union announced on February 7 it is launching the strike on February 19.

In the meantime, the negotiating parties proceeded with the talks and the trade union sent its proposal for a revision of wages to the education ministry but received no concrete offer by February 19, Bozovic said.

According to local broadcaster RTCG, teachers in almost 160 schools across Montenegro joined the strike on Monday. According to Bozovic, as cited by RTCG, the union will decide on Wednesday whether to continue with the strike for another five days, or to halt it until next week.