Serbian Army, Police Unions Dismiss 'Empty' Pay Promise

Army and police unions in Serbia have dismissed an announcement that salaries of members of the police and the army will rise by 10 per cent as a "lie" and an "empty promise" aimed at pacifying the discontent of soldiers and policemen.

"We know this is a lie since we have the Finance Ministry's documents, which say there is no room to increase salaries in the current and following fiscal years," the head of the Military Union of Serbia, Novica Antic, said.

Serbia's Interior and Defence Ministers, Nebojsa Stefanovic and Aleksandar Vulin, together with the Security Information Agency director Bratislav Gasic, announced the 10-per-cent wage increase for members of the security forces on Wednesday.

"After talking to President Aleksandar Vucic we reached a solution that the President supported," Stefanovic said after the meeting, according to the Interior Ministry press release.

But Antic told BIRN that the army had heard similar promises from the government, ever since the union started protesting in November 2016 about the poor living standards of its members.

Vladimir Pavicevic, from the Police Union of Serbia, told BIRN that the rise could also be a campaign ploy ahead of the Belgrade local elections next spring.

"This [rise] is what Vucic promised us on December 1, 2015, so they certainly keep their promises," Pavicevic said, sarcastically.

Antic and Pavicevic said the real purpose of the announcement was to deflect growing anger among the security forces.

"There will probably be some kind of a rise, not of 10 per cent, but it will be given in order to reduce tensions and prevent protests," Pavicevic predicted.

However, Antic does not believe any wage hike at all will occur, adding that the government's...