Employees at the Faculty of Philosophy in Niš are set to file a lawsuit against Serbia’s Ministry of Education, citing unpaid salaries and a reduction in payment coefficients as the primary grievances. Tatjana Paunović, president of the “Nezavisnost” union at the faculty, announced that the legal action will be taken to the Administrative Court. The employees have not received their wages for over 50 days, and the Ministry of Education has not provided the necessary funds, according to Paunović.
The faculty’s administration, as per Paunović, is not to blame for the financial shortfall. Instead, the Ministry of Education is held responsible for not disbursing the funds owed to the faculty. In addition to the lawsuit, the employees are contemplating filing criminal charges against officials at the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Science for alleged abuse of office. Paunović emphasized that the faculty staff are committed to pursuing legal avenues, avoiding any illegal actions despite the financial strain they are under.
The situation has left the faculty’s non-teaching staff without even minimal wages, and those who earn above the minimum are also facing significantly reduced incomes. Paunović described the faculty employees as “hostages” to what she termed an unjust and baseless decision by the Ministry to withhold salaries for July and August. The last payment received by the employees was on July 20.
The faculty’s management has reportedly complied with necessary procedures, and the Ministry has not provided any explanation or instructions to rectify the situation. An unsigned letter from the Ministry implied that salaries would not be paid until certain unspecified demands were met, which Paunović described as a form of extortion.
The faculty’s predicament is linked to a broader dispute involving the Ministry’s decision to establish a new Faculty of Serbian Studies at the University of Niš. This decision involved separating the departments of history, Serbian studies, and Russian language and literature from the Faculty of Philosophy. The faculty opposed this move, which led to a reduction in budgeted positions and the payment coefficients for the remaining staff.
In November of the previous year, the Serbian government decided to create the Faculty of Serbian Studies by detaching these departments from the Faculty of Philosophy. The Ministry of Education subsequently altered the faculty’s operating license, removing programs related to these departments, which were then approved for the new faculty. The Faculty of Philosophy challenged this decision in the Administrative Court, which issued a temporary measure preserving the faculty’s legal and institutional status pending a final court decision.
Despite the court’s temporary measure, the government eliminated budgeted positions for the first year of undergraduate studies in the affected departments and later for master’s and doctoral studies. This was followed by the Ministry reducing the salary calculation coefficient and the number of funded staff positions from 250 to 211.
The Ministry of Science has also threatened to revoke the faculty’s accreditation for research activities unless the departments are transferred to the new Faculty of Serbian Studies. This ongoing conflict highlights systemic issues within Serbia’s education sector, particularly concerning funding and administrative decisions.
The lawsuit and potential criminal charges underscore the tensions between the faculty and the Ministry, with significant implications for the education sector in Serbia. The outcome of these legal actions remains uncertain, and the Ministry of Education has yet to provide a comprehensive response to the allegations. The situation reflects broader challenges in Serbia’s educational system, which has faced criticism for declining standards and funding issues.
