Spajić meets UPCG today: “Euro Model” raises minimum wage to €1,000 from January 2027

Montenegro’s Prime Minister, Milojko Spajić, arrived today at the Science and Technology Park in Podgorica, where he is holding a meeting with representatives of the Union of Employers of Montenegro (UPCG) on the government’s announced “Euro Model” — the plan for a new minimum wage increase starting in January 2027. The meeting is being held as part of an expanded session of the UPCG Board of Directors.

Employers expect the prime minister to provide further clarification on the announced measures and their impact on business. The announced minimum wage increase had previously caused great attention and concern in the Montenegrin economy, with the UPCG stating that employers had not been consulted during the preparation of these measures.

Under the model that Spajić presented on September 17, the net minimum wage will be €1,000 for jobs requiring primary education or lower, €1,250 for secondary education, and €1,400 for higher education. The plan is expected to cover more than 250,000 employees, while the government has already approved a package of legal solutions for its implementation from the beginning of next year.

Meanwhile, the UPCG has said it will not sign the new General Collective Agreement (OKU) until the announced changes and their impact on the wage system are clarified. Employer representatives did not attend Monday’s meeting with the government and unions on the OKU, whose harmonization has long been stalled. The government has accepted the union proposal for the coefficient’s accounting value to rise from €90 to €100, but the new General Collective Agreement also requires the consent of employers.

Source: Vijesti