Philharmonic: The demands have not been met, we remain on strike

The Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra has been on strike since March 3. At today's (March 19) press conference, it was announced that their demands have not been met to date, that no one from the Ministry of Culture has even addressed them, and that is why they are continuing their strike. Until further notice.

Philharmonic players have only two demands: an increase in salaries to the national average and the election of a director.

First request

The Belgrade Philharmonic ranks among the ten leading orchestras in the world in terms of quality. He holds 96 concerts a year with 22 tickets sold, has educational music programs for more than nine thousand children and has toured the whole world with 84 guest appearances for a quarter of a century.

Regarding the first request, it is necessary to say the following: the average salary in Serbia in December 2024 was 108.312 dinars, and the majority of BGF employees receive 77.788 dinars.

Above the Serbian average salary is only the concertmaster's salary of 116.663 dinars, while the first brass players, deputy concertmaster, conductors of strings, harp and timpanists are slightly below the average. Those who make up 23,3 percent of employees. Everyone else is below average.

Second request

The second request is the result of the fact that this art house has been in an acting state since September 29, 2021, when its director Ivan Tasovac died. So - three and a half years.

It is not clear why the Government of Serbia is postponing the appointment of the BGF director.

It even happened that last August, the president of the Board of Directors, Rade Vojnović, from the cabinet of the previous Minister of Culture, Maja Gojković, resigned from this position, without notifying the Board of Directors of the BGF. The government accepted his resignation, but did not appoint a new president of the Supervisory Board, without which it is not possible to hold a competition for a new director.

And how is it in the region?

And the last piece of information: members of the Belgrade Philharmonic have far lower salaries than their colleagues in the region.

The minimum wage for the largest number of employees in the Zagreb Philharmonic is 1.700 euros, in Romania that amount is 1.500 euros, and one hundred euros less in the Slovenian Philharmonic. Colleagues in Sarajevo receive 1.215 euros, in Sofia 1.175 euros. The lowest wages in Podgorica are 960 euros, and in Skopje 900 euros.

The Ministry of Culture knows all this very well.