Despite the fact that the government’s ban on employment in municipalities has been in force for several years, in the first eight months of the election year 2016, at least 1,993 employees have been employed in 17 municipalities on the basis of fixed-term contracts, permanent contracts, service contracts, temporary jobs or internship on the basis of service, according to official data analyzed by MANS Investigation Center and the daily Vijesti.
Since the beginning of the year, on the basis of the Law on Free Access to Information, MANS Investigation Center has collected documents about employment in public enterprises of 17 largest municipalities. When it comes to the employment in the secretariats and municipal services, the Center has collected documentation for the seven largest municipalities (Podgorica, Niksic, Bijelo Polje, Pljevlja, Rozaje, Tivat and Ulcinj).
Documentation regarding employment in September this year has not been delivered yet.
Of the total of 1,993 employees engaged in the first eight months of this year, 1,708 persons was employed in local public enterprises, 914 of which got fixed-term contracts, 124 got permanent contracts, while as many as 420 persons got temporary service agreements, 230 got part-time jobs, while 20 people got an internship agreement.
Most fixed-term contracts in the public sector was concluded in Budva – 157, followed by Herceg Novi – 136 and Podgorica – 98 workers. In Niksic, public servants were hired mainly on the basis of temporary service agreement – 94, while 63 got the fixed-term employment and 124 people got permanent contracts.
When it comes to employment in the secretariats and municipal departments, collected documentation shows that in Podgorica, Bijelo Polje, Pljevlja, Rozaje, Tivat and Ulcinj 46 persons got fixed-term contracts, 37 got permanent contracts, whereas 103 were hired on the basis of temporary job and 73 on the basis of temporary service agreement. Niksic Municipality did not submit the requested documentation.
By increasing the number of employees, municipalities disregarded the government’s decision on the reduction of civil servants and employees in public services and administration made in 2010. Their number was also increasing in previous years when parliamentary, presidential and local elections in some municipalities were held.
The government started to deal with the problem of redundancy in local governments in 2010, when it stated that at the end of 2009, municipalities had had 10,751 servants employed, shows the official documentation of the Ministry of Finance.
The Ministry of Finance then ordered suspension of recruitment and provision of severance pay for the redundant employees and withhold their re-engagement in public administration. Although this was the official government’s request, practice has shown that municipalities disregarded it, without bearing any consequences whatsoever. Thus, municipalities paid severance to redundant employees, but also made new employment.
According to official documents of the Ministry of Finance from 2013, the number of officials in the municipalities was higher by 553 compared to the “beginning” in 2009. In 2014, the number of persons employed was already increased by 1,027 compared to four years earlier. Those two years, 2013 and 2014, presidential and local elections were held in Podgorica and in most other municipalities.
The response of the Ministry of Finance to the questions of “Vijesti” shows that at the end of last year there were 11,660 employees, which is 909 more than at the time when the Government declared the suspension of further employment (beginning of 2010). Judging by the vast employment in 2016, the number will grow by the end of the year.
The debt increased from €168 to €177.5 milion
The government has tried to prevent new employment because of the huge debts of the municipalities that was worrying. According to the MoF data, at the end of 2009, municipalities were owing €167.8 million and had 10,751 employees.
The largest debt was recorded in Podgorica – €25 million, Bar – €19.9 million, Budva – €12 million, Pljevlja – €5.8 million and Bijelo Polje – €4.4 million. By the end of 2014, the indebtedness of municipalities amounted to 168 million euros, and by the end of last year it increased to €177.5 million.
The largest number of new employees was recorded in Budva and Podgorica, the former mayors of which are under investigation by the prosecution for misuse of state funds. Budva almost doubled its number of employees from 557 to 1,004 in only five years, whereas in Podgorica the number of employees increased by 466.
Authors:
Mila Radulovic
Natasa Vuksanovic
This text is created with the support of the European Union and the U.S. Embassy Podgorica. Network for Affirmation of Non-Governmental Sector – MANS is solely responsible for the contents of this article, and the views taken herein shall not in any case be considered as those of the European Union.
