Vučić's potato for professors: Canceled salaries at universities

Since the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, said a few days ago that the state has decided that in the future "it will not reward non-workers" and that "it willprofessor at faculties that do nothing, except participate in blockades", to get "potatoes", to numerous professors university no profit was made.

"Tomorrow, I think this part is paid for them. They will get nothing," said Vučić in a guest appearance on Pink TV three days after the large protest in Belgrade on March 15.

This was preceded by a letter from the outgoing Minister of Education, Slavica Đukić Dejanović, to the deans of the faculties, asking them to inform whether lectures and other forms of teaching are held in the institution they lead, i.e. exams are organized.

This was followed by a further letter from the minister in which she asks the dean to inform her by Friday (March 21) whether they have informed the authority responsible for internal affairs, i.e. the police, about the blockade of the higher education institution, or whether they have requested the intervention of the police, as well as whether they have initiated disciplinary proceedings against the students who prevent classes from taking place.

"If someone prevents the work of the faculty, we have referred to legal acts to remind the management of the faculty, to see if they have acted in accordance with the law," says Slavica Đukić-Dejanović for "Vreme".

As he explains, when it comes to wages, they were paid for February in accordance with what was announced.

"It was announced that for February they will be paid as much as they worked. The salary consists of two parts - the educational part and the part for scientific-research work. One working week has 40 hours, of which 20 hours are educational and 20 hours are scientific-research work", says Đukić-Dejanović, explaining that the first part of the salary covers scientific-research work for the entire month of February.

Some university professors consider the government's moves to be a direct attack on the university's autonomy, a political war by the government against dissidents, retaliation and intimidation.

Attack on university autonomy

On March 20, Neven Obradović, an assistant professor at the Faculty of Philosophy in Niš, did not receive the second part of his salary, and he considers this move by the authorities as a direct attack on the autonomy of the university.

"We always receive the second part of the salary on the 20th of the month, however, we did not receive it yesterday, nor did we receive any explanation as to why this happened. We received a notification from the dean that the funds from the state were not transferred from the competent institution that resolves it. That's all we know," says Obradović for "Vreme".

He adds that it is important to note that the non-teaching staff did not receive their salaries either.

Retired minister Đukić-Dejanović tells "Vreme" that the faculty administrations were asked for information about non-teaching staff and that their salaries will be paid in full by the end of March.

Professor labeling and pressure

He comments on the president's announcement that professors will receive "potatoes" as an inappropriate way of speaking.

"What really bothers me as someone who is employed in higher education is the way it was communicated and the mention of that potato. I don't think it's appropriate for someone who holds one of the most important positions in society to talk to the academic community that way."

The labeling of faculty professors as "rich caste" is especially devastating, he says.

"I think it creates a bad odium in society. Although I am aware that he is addressing his electorate, so what is the image of the university, how will their children enroll in studies when the university is presented in that way", says Obradović.

In the consultation with the lawyers, he and his colleagues were told to wait until the end of the month, and then take the usual legal steps, explains the interlocutor of "Vremena".

"This is an attempt to put pressure on the university, which aims to somehow intimidate employees with existential matters. That's really not the way. I think this is an attempt to solve the current crisis. I think the solution is dialogue, and it must be approached honestly, without labeling, without things that have become everyday in our public speech," says Obradović.

Political war of the authorities against dissidents

Professor of the Faculty of Philosophy in Belgrade, Aleksandar Baucal, confirmed to FoNet that salaries were not paid at that faculty.

He assessed such a step as a "political war of the authorities against dissidents" and "retaliation" against those who are very critical of the way the country is structured.

Baucal reminds that teachers in primary and secondary schools participating in the education protest have been facing the same problem for a long time and that they have not even received the first part of their February salary.

The second part of the February salary for primary and secondary school teachers should be paid on Friday (March 21).

"As university professors, we, together with the teachers, share the impression that the state belongs to those people who are currently in power and that the government can use the budget - in which we all invest as citizens - in accordance with their current political interests and that they can make discretionary decisions about the budget," said Baucal.

Vlas against citizens

He reminds that the government often talks about the politicization of education, but assesses that "the situation is worse when the government politicizes the state, that is, when it uses all the resources of the state that are common to wage a political war against dissenters."

Baucal states that, despite unpaid wages, he does not notice a lack of motivation or fear among his colleagues, on the contrary - he sees a growing awareness of the need to solve the problem and that it cannot be postponed.

"Most colleagues recognize this as another additional reason why, in fact, all those student demands are correct. It only shows that the pressure on the government should be increased, that they should somehow come to their senses and stop. To think about the situation they have brought themselves and the citizens into. The government, which should work for all its citizens, cannot be against its citizens, that is simply not a sustainable position," said Professor Baucal.

Bad for both the state and the citizens and the government

He believes that the "clinch" in which the government has found itself with the citizens is not good for the state or the citizens, nor for the people who are currently in power.

"You can be the best man in the world and the best politician that we currently have in the country, but if you didn't manage to convince a huge number of citizens that you are really the best for that moment and for those people - then you should also think about it. Sometimes we all find ourselves in that situation where we still believe that we are right, in order to bring benefit to some other people, but if those people don't recognize that, then nothing. So, step back and maybe in another situation people will recognize that you had some quality, and you will again to get an opportunity", said Baucal.

In Serbia, the fifth month of university blockades and protests started after the fall of the railway station canopy in Novi Sad on November 1, 2024 is going on.

Students and citizens continue protests and blockades even after the largest protest in the history of Serbia held in Belgrade on March 15.