AmCham Montenegro organized a Business Luncheon with the Minister of Labor and Social Welfare, H.E. Kemal Purišič. The event was attended by AmCham member companies, representatives of the diplomatic corps, representatives of state and local governance as well as the representatives of international organizations.

The central topic of the event was the current business barriers in the area of labor relations, as well as the planned reforms of the Montenegrin Labor Law. In that sense, the discussion was lead on the subject of planned activities of the Ministry in the ongoing year.

President of AmCham, Ms. Katarina Bulatović, pointed out that the reforms of the legal framework in the area of labor are a necessity and that the Labor Law should be the umbrella act which will define the relations between employers and employees in Montenegro. She added that all collective contracts and bylaws should be alligned with the Labor Law. “Our member companies suggest that the process of determining the breach of work obligations should be reformed, also the simplification of the definition of the term “salary” is needed. In addition to that, back monetary claims should be limited to a certain period of time, in order to enable employers to predict the future of their businesses and to give the employees timely realizations of their receivables.” stated Ms. Bulatović.

On behalf of the U.S. Embassy to Montenegro, guests were addressed by Mr. B. Bix Aliu, Deputy Chief of Mission, who conveyed the views of the Embassy on the importance of regulation of the labor market for the economy of Montenegro. „Legislation in the labor area give structure to the working environment, define responsibilities of employers and employees, and, if necessary, provide legal basis to both sides and give necessary guidance for the resolution of labor related disputes.” He added that these laws are important because they allow businesses to focus their resources on productivity and profitability, rather than on the settlements of labor disputes. Mr. Aliu stressed the importance of cooperation and communication between the private sector and the state in order to make progress in the labor market.

In the interview between the President of AmCham, Ms. Katarina Bulatović and the guest of honor, Minister Purišić, the Minister answered the questions of importance to the membership of AmCham and the overall Montenegrin business community. They talked about possible progress in the adoption of the new Labor Law as well as new solutions that it should offer, but also discussed the new Law on Foreigners which is in the preparation.

During the interview, Minister Purišić stated: “Action Plan for Chapter 19 – Social Policy and Employment, the Program of Montenegro’s Accession to the European Union and the Program of the Government of Montenegro, the adoption of the Labor Law is planned for the fourth quarter of 2017, which includes determining the Bill by the Government by the end of 2017.“ The Minister added that the ongoing harmonization of the text of the Law on Social Partners, and that the consensus of all three social partners on the proposed legal solutions is necessary. He added that he cannot foresee the final position on this issue.

The business community in Montenegro was also interested in the announcement of the Minister that the new Law on Foreigners will significantly improve the business environment in Montenegro, in terms of employment of foreigners.