Faculty of Philosophy in Niš staff unpaid for 62 days

Staff at the Faculty of Philosophy in Niš have gone 62 days without receiving their salaries. According to Professor Dušan Aleksić, employees have not been paid for July or August, with no indication of when payments will resume.

The salary freeze is reportedly linked to a dispute over the restructuring of the university. The Serbian government previously decided to establish a new ‘Faculty of Serbian Studies’ by extracting three departments from the Faculty of Philosophy: Serbian Studies, Russian Language and Literature, and History.

The Ministry of Science has reportedly informed professors and assistants that the Faculty of Philosophy must cede these departments to the new faculty, or it will face challenges in renewing its accreditation for scientific research activities.

Faculty members have noted that the situation is most difficult for those on minimum wages. In response, donation boxes have been placed in the faculty hall, and some staff members have received financial assistance through solidarity networks and donation platforms.