Montenegro pensioners stage unusual protest

A group of Montenegrin pensioners carried out an unusual protest action by collecting 600 euros and paying it as “aid to the Government of Montenegro,” with a message that they no longer want to be humiliated due to their low incomes and the state’s treatment of them.

This symbolic move came as a reaction to current social benefits and pension levels, which, according to the organizers of the action, are not sufficient for a dignified life, CE Report quotes FENA.

By raising the funds among themselves, the pensioners wanted to draw attention to the fact that they feel neglected by the system, despite recent legislative changes.

“We do not want anyone to humiliate us with crumbs. Through this act, we want to send a message to the government that, if they do not have enough for social justice and dignity for those who built this country, here we are to help them,” representatives of the pensioners said when transferring the funds, according to Radio and Television of Montenegro.

Discontent intensified after Montenegro implemented a reform that increased the minimum pension to 450 euros (a rise of over 50 percent for the most vulnerable), but that increase did not apply equally to all categories of pensioners.

According to the latest data from the Montenegrin Pension Fund, the average pension in the country is about 510 euros, meaning that many pensioners who paid higher contributions throughout their working lives now receive almost the same amount as those with minimal service years.

Pensioners point out that the cost of living, especially food and medicine prices, has become unbearable, while inflation “eats up” every pension adjustment that is made three times a year.

They emphasize that their move is not only a financial message but also a “cry for dignity” from a generation that does not want to be treated as a social burden.

Foto/ Ilustracija