Apoteka Beograd Workers Wait on 16.5 Back Salaries
Apoteka Beograd employees are waiting today for a payment covering 16.5 back salaries, through August. The union says the Presidency announced it, but the money had not arrived by morning.
Employees of Apoteka Beograd are expecting a payment today, under an announcement from the Serbian Presidency, covering 16.5 back salaries, through the wages for August. That is what Jelena Sikuljak, president of the “Opstanak” union, told the FoNet news agency, adding that as of this morning, when she gave the statement, the money had not yet been posted to employees’ accounts.
According to her, the last payment employees saw was an advance for April. Wages have been stalled ever since, with the debt growing month by month all the way through August.
“Based on the announcement from the Presidency, we expect the payment today. The last one paid out was the April advance, and this payment covers wages through August, which comes to 16.5 salaries in total,” Sikuljak told FoNet.
The union learned of today’s date a day earlier, on September 15, directly from the Presidency. It had not yet tracked whether the money had landed by this morning, so Sikuljak says she will follow the payment over the course of the day.
What is happening with health insurance?
Employees at the state-run pharmacy chain have health insurance set to expire at the end of September. Sikuljak expects contributions to be paid along with the back wages, which would automatically extend the insurance through the end of the year.
“Once the salaries are paid, the contributions will be paid too, so there is no reason for the health insurance not to be extended through the end of the year. We will certainly follow up on whether there are any problems,” she said.
Also open is the question of operating funds, meaning money for the goods and equipment the pharmacy needs to run. According to the union president, the institution currently lacks the staff to carry out public procurement, so that part depends on other institutions and is moving more slowly than the salary payments themselves.
“We are working to get the operating funds too, since that was also among the conclusions from the meeting, that is, among the promises made,” Sikuljak said.
Deal reached in late July
Today’s announcement follows up on an agreement reached on July 28 at a meeting with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, attended by union representatives along with the mayor of Belgrade, the health minister and the finance minister. At that meeting, employees were promised four things: operating funds already in August, payment of all back wages in September, confirmation of health insurance, and the linking of years of service.
Just under two months have passed between that agreement and the announced payment date, during which union representatives repeatedly said they were still waiting for the promises to be carried out.
Six months to turn a profit
Along with paying off the debt, the state also set a six month deadline for Apoteka Beograd to show it can operate profitably, with help securing operating funds. If that does not happen, the next step, according to reporting by Vreme, would likely be a concession, meaning part of the business passing into private hands.
Part of the state pharmacy network has already changed hands. A branch at 91A Despota Stefana Boulevard in central Belgrade, which operated under the Apotekarska ustanova Beograd, closed in September 2024. A pharmacy from the private Galen Pharm chain now operates at the same location. Another branch on the same street, near the corner with George Washington Street, also closed in September 2024. Since those two branches shut down, there has been speculation that the closures were meant to hand the space over to the private sector.
Whether the six month deadline leads to a profitable state pharmacy or brings the concession scenario closer will depend first on whether today’s announced payment actually arrives, and whether it is followed, as promised, by funds for the regular purchase of goods.
