Belgrade Pharmacy Employees Promised Salaries After 1.5 Years of Non-Payment

Employees of Apotekarska ustanova Beograd face a dire situation, having gone 1.5 years without pay and with unpaid health insurance and contributions. Their pleas to city authorities were largely ignored until President Aleksandar Vučić intervened.

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The colleague wanted to go to the soup kitchen, they told her she couldn't because she was employed.

During a meeting at the Presidency, attended by ministers and city officials, Vučić promised that employees would receive funds for operations in August and all salaries would be paid by September. Health insurance payments were also to be made immediately, along with the connection of work seniority. This intervention came after months of employee protests and appeals to various institutions.

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We will receive funds for operations in August, and by September we will have all salaries paid. Of course, there is also health insurance which will be paid today, as well as the connection of work seniority.

Snežana Pantelić Živanović from Apoteka Beograd expressed cautious optimism, stating, "We will receive funds for operations in August, and by September we will have all salaries paid. Of course, there is also health insurance which will be paid today, as well as the connection of work seniority." However, she acknowledged that this is only a temporary fix, and the final solution is still pending. Concessions remain a possibility, and the future status of the institution is under consideration.

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The President promised that he would try to save the jobs, and the final solution and status of our institution will still be considered what the best model is to preserve Apoteka Beograd or to what extent. That is still not known.

President Vučić had previously acknowledged the plight of pregnant employees and those undergoing fertility treatments who lacked social security for months, promising a swift resolution. However, his January promise remained unfulfilled. The timing of this renewed promise, seven months before elections, has led to speculation about its political motivations, though employees are focused on the immediate relief. "I don't know, to tell you the truth, maybe it has something to do with it. But in any case, our issue, I think it has reached a point of no return, literally," one employee commented when asked about the election connection.

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I went completely crazy yesterday, I lost my voice, some women from the pharmacies complained, pregnant women, they haven't had social security for eight months, some are waiting for IVF, come on, receive these women, talk to them whoever needs to, we will solve this problem now, it doesn't matter.