Podgorica, (MINA) - The Media Trade Union of Montenegro (SMCG) is working intensively to ensure that the Branch Collective Agreement, which would improve the status of journalists and media workers, is signed by the end of this year, said SMCG president Radomir Krackovic.

Krackovic told the MINA News Agency that it was time for an agreement with employers.  

“A step forward has not been made, but we expect it during this year. We are working intensively and believe that the moment has finally come to reach an agreement with employers and adopt a new Branch Collective Agreement, which would improve the status of journalists and media workers in Montenegro”, Krackovic said.

Speaking about the General Collective Agreement, which should be signed by the Government and representatives of trade unions and employers, Krackovic said that this whole situation represents an additional reason for the adoption of the Branch Agreement.

“Since we do not have a Branch Agreement in the media sector, journalists and media workers derive their rights from General Collective Agreement, and therefore this whole uncertainty surrounding the signing of the Branch Agreement is an additional reason for adopting the General one, so that we do not always depend on whether the Government, employers and unions at the national level manage to agree on General Collective Agreement”, Krackovic said.

He stated that employees in the media, with the possible adoption of General Agreement, would see an increase in their wages.

Krackovic recalled that the other rights they receive from General Agreement are also important for media workers, which is why it is very important that the new Branch Collective Agreement be signed.

Commenting on the court rulings in the case of attacks on photojournalists Boris Pejovic and Stevo Vasiljevic, Krackovic said that SMCG is concerned that this, the most serious case of attacks on journalists in the past year, does not have an adequate outcome, which would correspond to the severity of the attack.