EI sent a clear message to the authorities of Montenegro on 9 December that the latter has to sign the "Branch Collective Agreement for Education" as stipulated in the General Collective Agreement in 2004.
EI was informed by its affiliate in the country, the Independent Union of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of Montenegro (ITUESCSM), that Article 81 of the General Collective Agreement which came into effect in Jan 2004, states that the agreement for the education sector should have been signed by the end of Mar 2004. However, the authorities have refused to sign it, despite having agreed on the content between the ministries involved and the ITUESCSM. EI believes that the refusal to sign the agreement violates the principles of the ILO Convention 98 on the Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining, which was ratified by the country in 2000. Below is the content of EI's letter in English dated 9 December 2005: Mr. Slobodan Backovic Minister of Education and Science Montenegro, Serbia and Montenegro Fax : +381 81 405 334 Brussels, 9th December 2005 Dear Minister, Education International (EI), the global union federation of teachers and other education workers, which represents over 29 million members in 166 countries and territories, counts the Independent Union of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of Montenegro (ITUESCSM) among its affiliates. We have been informed by the ITUESCSM that, in accordance with article 81 of the General Collective Agreement that came into effect in January 2004, the Branch Collective Agreement for Education should have been signed at the latest by the end of March 2004. Education International urges you to ensure that the Branch Collective Agreement for Education is signed without any further delay and implemented promptly, so as to respect the principles guaranteed by ILO Convention 98 on the Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining, which was ratified by your country in 2000. Yours sincerely, Fred van Leeuwen General Secretary