Montenegrin government set to introduce seven-hour work day

PM Spajić stated that a model had been found that would be acceptable to both trade unions and employers.

He announced broad consultations with social partners for the following week, during which, he said, the final version of the reform would be finetuned.

Spajić explained that the aim is to carry out one of the most significant labour reforms in Montenegro through extensive consultations, with the goal of improving citizens' quality of life and providing "more time for family, as well as more efficient and productive work."

However, Montenegro's Employers’ Union (UPCG) argues that conditions are not in place for a seven-hour working day.

"We did not support the idea from the outset, as we believe it is premature and was made without a serious assessment of the impact on the Montenegrin economy, which we know is facing significant and numerous challenges, one of the key ones being a chronic labour shortage," said Suzana Radulović from the UPCG.

The Union of Free Trade Unions said that while they understand the resistance from the business sector, they believe Montenegro must move in that direction.

The introduction of a seven-hour working day is one of the pre-election promises of Spajić’s Europe Now movement. His populist government had previously fulfilled promises made to pensioners by increasing the minimum pension to €450, while the pledge to raise the average salary in Montenegro to €1,000 was fulfilled at the end of last year.

However, his critics argue that these increases are unrealistic and detrimental to the Montenegrin budget, warning that there is a risk of a significant deficit by the end of the year. This is because the wage increases were implemented by reducing mandatory taxes that employers are required to pay into the state budget.

According to the latest analysis by the Montenegrin Ministry of Finance, a consolidated public finance deficit of €81.1 million was recorded in the first quarter of 2025, which amounts to 1.0 per cent of the estimated GDP.