Firefighters to state leaders: We don't need applause, but higher salaries and a dignified life

If there is no urgent reaction from the state, they announce protests and other legal forms of union and civil struggle. Disclaimer: The translations are mostly done through AI translator and might not be 100% accurate. Firefighters from the central region sent an open letter to the President of the Republic, Jakov Milatović, Prime Minister Milojko Spajić, the Speaker of the Parliament, Andrija Mandić, and the parliamentary groups, in which they demand an increase in the coefficient from 7,3 to at least 9,5, a resolution of the housing issue, and clear rules for calculating allowances. As they stated in the statement they submitted, if there is no urgent reaction from the state, they are announcing protests and other legal forms of union and civil struggle. "Firefighters and rescuers will no longer be silent heroes only when they need to be talked about," they stated in the open letter. They add that for years they have been hearing that they are "silent heroes", "the pride of Montenegro" and "the first to help when times are tough", but that their families cannot live off of nice words. They also said that a large number of firefighters do not have a resolved housing issue, and that the cost of living and inflation are further degrading the standard of their families. "And at the same time, we expect them to be ready 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. This is not a job that can be compared to an ordinary workplace. It is a calling that requires physical and mental fitness, enormous responsibility, courage, training, constant availability, and a willingness to put one's life on the line for another human being," the letter states. They also add that while citizens plan their summer vacations, they remain available due to the fire season. While others spend the holidays with their families, firefighters are on duty, and a call for intervention can come at any time. "A citizen in trouble doesn't ask who the politician is, who the minister is, who the mayor is. He calls the firefighter. And the firefighter comes," the letter states. One of the key requirements relates to increasing the job complexity coefficient for firefighters and rescuers. Firefighters are demanding that the current coefficient of 7,3 be increased to at least 9,5. "We are not asking for privilege. We are not asking for a gift. We are asking for recognition of the real value, responsibility and risk of this job," the letter reads. They specifically point to, as they state, the disparity between their coefficients and certain other jobs in the Capital City system. "How is it possible that a man who enters fires every day, risks his life, saves people and property, works in extreme conditions and must be ready to intervene 24 hours a day is rated with a coefficient of 7,3," they ask. Firefighters also cite the exercise of employment rights as a particular problem. They say they often have to initiate court proceedings to exercise the rights they claim are entitled to under the law. In particular, they demand a single and binding method of calculating salaries and allowances so that the realization of their rights would no longer depend on the interpretation of local officials. In the open letter, they also question the calculation of allowances for special working conditions during overtime, as well as work during public and religious holidays. They ask whether the risk of a job changes after regular working hours. "Is a firefighter less at risk when working overtime? Does a fire ask if it's Sunday? Does a traffic accident ask if it's a public holiday," they ask. Firefighters warn that the problem is no longer just a matter of salaries, but also the future of the entire protection and rescue system, that there is a shortage of personnel and that current conditions send a message to young people not to choose this profession. One of the requests also relates to the direct participation of firefighters' representatives in the creation of laws and other regulations that regulate their status. "A firefighter must be at the table when decisions are made about a firefighter," they add. Among the demands is an urgent resolution of the housing issue of firefighters, especially those who have been working in the service for decades and do not have their housing issue resolved. They also request that the conditions for more favorable retirement, which, according to their allegations, are currently in force temporarily, until the end of 2028, be maintained as a permanent legal solution. At the same time, they demand the development of a state strategy for retaining existing and attracting new firefighting personnel. They expect all political parties, they say, to stop talking about firefighters and start solving their problems. The firefighters say that the open letter was not written to end up in someone's drawer or to receive another protocol statement about how important they are to society. If, as they state, there is no immediate and concrete reaction from the competent institutions after their address, they announce the radicalization of the union and public struggle. "Not because we want to endanger citizens. On the contrary. We are the last ones who want a citizen to be endangered because of our dissatisfaction. But a firefighter is also a citizen. His family is also a citizen. His children must also have the right to a dignified life," the letter states. They also say that they are not asking to be called heroes. "We ask that you treat us as people. We don't need applause. We need legal earnings. We don't need campaign promises. We need a system. We don't need photos. We need dignity," the letter reads. "7,3 is no longer enough. It's time for at least 9,5 and everything that belongs to us. We hope for an urgent reaction from the competent institutions, otherwise we as firefighters will find a way to organize ourselves additionally and that together with the wider social community and the media we will be able to fight for firefighters and their families to have a life worthy of a human being," the open letter reads. See more: Download the app and follow the news FOLLOW US ON