Montenegrin unions urge EU to link Chapter 19 closure to collective agreement

The Economic and Social Council (EKS), the Union of Free Trade Unions of Montenegro (USSCG), and the Confederation of Trade Unions of Montenegro (SSCG) have sent a formal letter to the European Commission. The labor organizations are requesting that the restoration of the General Collective Agreement (OKU) and the establishment of functional social dialogue be made mandatory conditions for closing Chapter 19 (Social Policy and Employment) in Montenegro’s EU accession negotiations.

The unions report that the expiration of the OKU has left more than 100,000 workers without legal protection. They claim the Montenegrin government is responsible for the lapse, noting that while unions and employers reached a compromise in 2025 regarding wage increases through adjusted complexity coefficients, the government failed to sign the agreed-upon text. The groups warned that the deterioration of social dialogue threatens Montenegro's progress within the EU enlargement framework.