They have lost all moral respect for human beings .. They feel that giving people a $20 and or 30 $ merit increase per month is going to make someone satisfied and or work in the office ? Has this company lost its mind? The huge CAMPUS that they built in Belgrade only 5 years ago , and now giving people $20 raises per month? Are they serious? They are looking to pay for the same positions a salary that they were paying 12 years ago .. .They are still trying to pay people in Belgrade $800 a month... That story has sailed... Then from what everyone heard is they fired the president of the Labor Union in Belgrade just so the top players could run the company.. This company has become criminal . All people are doing now is coming into the office and socializing all day ... what a waste of work force .. Then again while the GM in Serbia and his buddies are all profiting while they can ... not sure what is going on but people cant live on a $20 pay increase.. this is so low .. this company should be prosecuted
195 replies (most recent on top)
@4v5 Yes, Serbian job market is quite vibrant, as much as Atleos or Voyix are.
Every few weeks another news about some comoany closing it,'s Serbian office. Last few days, Ubisoft closed office here.
Now there are many highly skilled workers on the market lookin for a job for months, and it won't be any better when army of thousands low skilled workers join the trouble ...
cost of cable increased in one year 20 % , cost of utilities increased another %20 percent in the last year, cost of food, clothing , gas , all increased 20 % in the last year, what are you suppose to do with $20 extra per month? I guess like the one guy said , buy ice cream and that's about it.. plus from what I heard the company gives their employees a $90 yearly bonus ... is that fair? well maybe it is maybe it isn't.. but like some have said hey if you don't like it just leave, I'm sure the Serbian job market for jobs is booming right now and so easy to find a job .. anyone can find a job within a week correct?
Well, since the Brinks merger is expected in the near future, something significant is definitely about to happen.
Atleos still has contracts with customers, and I assume there will always be someone saying that great things are ahead of us.
Imagine if management openly announced that a location would be shut down. Combined with the uncertainty about the future, many employees would immediately start considering other opportunities, decide to leave while they still can, or simply become disengaged and stop responding.
Basically, every time an integration or merger takes place, the standard marketing message is that nothing will change, business will continue as usual, and even better things are ahead.
Brinks is a scavenger company – they take what they need and move on. Atleos is likely going to be dismantled piece by piece. As for expansion of the cash management business, that may become increasingly difficult as societies continue moving away from cash and toward digital payment systems.
An employee can sue after being made redundant as a technological surplus, but filing a lawsuit and winning it are two very different things. To succeed, the employee would generally have to prove that Brinks hired someone else for the same position, or that the process used to determine the technological surplus was not conducted properly.
If the employee loses the case, they may be ordered to reimburse the employer's legal costs, which could create additional financial problems.
If Brinks decides to shut down an entire location, however, proving that the redundancy was not genuine would be extremely difficult, if not impossible.
Umm excuse me ? Why do we have virtual employees working in Belgrade with that number being very high if we all work in the same building? Can someone explain who chose all those people to work virtually while others have to suffer walking to work in 40 degree heat , and not to mention other things? How is it possible that we have one location and %20 percent of people have never come into the office? Again no explanation? Um why do we have people coming into the office twice a week for 4 hours a day ?
There are several stories and theories going around right now in regard to the future of the company. While most people believe something big is going to happen like for instance the company shutting down and or reducing work force, others believe the opposite such as the company expanding and bringing new roles and a positive future to the Belgrade location.. that is still all to be seen .. As far as low wages, discrimination , employee safety, those are concerns all companies deal with . I see that in some of these posts there are comments in regard to severance pay and how it is calculated in Serbia. Yes its true if they want to get rid of you as a technological surplus , they would have to pay you 1 third of your current net salary times the years you worked there. There is also the option of a an agreement without the company having to report that same technological surplus to all the tax paying government agencies and so on … With an agreement you just get a lump some of money once you leave without the company reporting anything to the government… Several people have walked away in this fashion while making an agreement with the company , which is always going to be more money that when you are pronounced as a technological surplus.. The difference is when you are pronounced a technological surplus you can sue the company.. with an agreement YOU CANNOT SUE . hence the company does not want dozens or even hundreds of lawsuits on their hands so they try to even it out with who will get what.. And , Yes its true there is a labor union in Belgrade that the company quickly concealed as this would not be good for business in Belgrade nor for leadership running the show. The company will not allow for employees to speak up and run any kind of political party due to the investment and role being too large.. Everyone stepping in their way will be terminated !!!!! This was very easily seen on the bulletin boards in the last few months where the company was posting terminations of employee contracts visible to anyone walking in and out of the building to show their strength.
@4r1 Is Donald Trump coming soon to Serbia to get some advises from Aleksandar Vucic?
FINALLY !!!!!!! we are now able to share proof of what has been said here on this post .... there are now posted documents online from the Serbian government.. in regard to what has been occurring in this company... this is a huge step towards making everyone understand the importance of this company. Please reach out to VS for more information
@4nh Yes, companies in decline generally don't pay much attention to their employees unless a layoff is taking place.
I hope you'll find better opportunities and working conditions with your new employer.
Going back up to the original thread here, there is no country in the world right now that someone can live on a $20 increase per month... it does nothing... not even in Serbia can you do anything with $20 per month... sorry, this company is representing itself as some big global tycoon. Start paying your employees what then deserve and then you wont have negative feedback. Again they have lost all moral respect for human beings.. They jut don't care anymore . That's why no one is doing anything anyway and just sitting around and waiting , while the dirty dozen are filling up their pockets
The uproar in Serbia was just a matter of time until the relationship went sour. While NCR was building up Serbia, North Americans were being let go, many after decades of loyal service, going sometimes years with out pay increases. I was one of the people who got a phone call and was terminated in 4 minutes read from a script. We were getting terminated while Serbians were being hired, in some cases we were asked to train the Serbians.
I am not surprised of anything on this post, this is simply what NCR has always done in recent years. Get a exit plan, don’t get caught by surprise.
@4d9 Yes I'm talking hypotethically. And I'm not sorry for expressing my emotions work related stress and city's current situation made me feel nostalgic. 12 years ago when I came, I was thinking that I would live in Belgrade until I die and unfortunately not feeling that way.s
At the moment, you still do not appear to have a case for a lawyer, and if the company pays severance in accordance with labor law, you are unlikely to have one.
Belgrade's ugly transformation is not related to the decline of NCR. That is a completely separate issue.
Everyone should take care of themselves, whether they live in Belgrade or in any other town.
@4cv Well, I have a good lawyer who doesn't ask for crazy fees. I will get my severance and move back to my hometown. They are going to demolishing soon Bajloni Green Market and Staklenac and many buildings on metro route. They will not leave us the Belgrade we know. We won't be able to see soon the many buildings with big memory but fake Western modernization. Already there is no Magic Garden Pub (At Staklenac) for years which was warm home for people who are waiting for their night bus on Republic Square. And I don't recognize Belgrade with "Belgrade on the water project" yet they want to make it everywhere. Believe me there will be very big sociological ruptures. City is already unlivable with the any kind of constructions affecting traffic and public transportation.
I guess the only way to get a better severance package is through negotiation. However, the current management does not seem particularly motivated to do that.
In my opinion, threatening them with court action is a mistake because, at this point, you do not appear to have solid legal grounds for it. The only completely legal leverage employees have is the ability to resign—and to do so collectively.
There is no law preventing people from resigning. If a large number of employees were to leave at the same time, the company would have very limited ability to redistribute the workload elsewhere within less than 30 days. Such an action could cause significant operational disruption, potentially even jeopardize the merger, and might force management to offer better terms.
That said, it is a risky strategy, and given the typical Serbian mentality regarding collective action, I find it highly unlikely to happen.
Management of a dying company being terrified by a group of Serbian employees threatening them with Serbian courts, while the company is being swallowed by another business and facing almost imminent downsizing or closure? I highly doubt it.
The legal minimum is still legal and, by itself, does not provide grounds for court action. If they offered less than the legally required minimum, that would be a completely different matter.
@4cp There is a union. The company's immediate response to it gaining traction was to remove its leadership.
Collective bargaining before a Brinks acquisition would mean severance negotiations, not just the legal minimum handed out at the door.
Draw your own conclusions about why that terrifies them.
@4cp No, but we have labour unions that can get you cheaper pork halfs. It may sound like a joke, maybe some part of it is, but this is also quite true and part of Serbian reality ...
They will represent you, or anyone else, if they believe there is a reasonable chance of earning money from the case. That part is true.
However, if you go to them and say that you want to sue the company because you were laid off as a redundant employee ("tehnološki višak") and received the severance package required by law, as we discussed, I highly doubt they will be interested in taking the case.
If you have some other legal grounds besides that—and besides the fact that the company marketed itself as a global leader but ended up shrinking or going bankrupt—then you may have something worth pursuing.
As for bookies and loan sharks, I hope nobody is considering dealing with them. Even without a job at Atleos or Voyix, you're still alive and have both knees attached. Keeping it that way is probably a good idea.
Are there any unions in Serbia , that can protect the employees?
There are plenty of contingency fee lawyers in Belgrade, they will take 30 % of the winnings, not to worry . lawyers are criminals as well. but they will represent anyone ... they just take more money at the end if you cant pay up front , and if you loose your case, oh well then you can go to the bookies and borrow to pay back , plenty of those in Belgrade as well.. not saying that people should peruse anything... but just in case they feel that they have a case, lawyers are waiting like sharks to represent anyone .. and usually the courts are on the workers side
Well, there are a few problems with that.
First, they are already busy.
Second, the current labor law is not in any way contradictory to what may happen. Just as an example: if you own a company and the business starts performing badly, eventually you may be forced to shut it down because it is no longer viable. Are you allowed to lay off employees or not? If not, how are they supposed to keep receiving salaries, and who is supposed to pay them?
Third, even if your case is not immediately dismissed due to a lack of legal grounds, how do you plan to pay for a lawyer? A single court appearance can cost more than €300. At the same time, you still need to eat, pay your bills, and cover your living expenses, all while having no income.
I'm not saying people shouldn't pursue legal action if they genuinely have a case. I'm just saying that litigation is neither quick nor free, and the practical realities should not be ignored.
Looks like the courts will be busy in Belgrade
Well, I hope this is clear. The company will definitely not remain at its current capacity, assuming it stays in Serbia at all.
How will they get rid of people? They will announce a reduction in business operations, eliminate the affected roles, and consequently lay off the employees holding those positions due to a reduced need for staff. They will pay severance packages, as already mentioned. All of that is completely legal and a legitimate option.
As for the unfulfilled promises of global leadership and hiring more people, I guess those will share the fate of similar stories about the Serbian economic tiger, the European champion, the regional miracle, and the regional leader.
so basically what is being said here is that this company will not be functioning within a year or so ? is everyone going to loose their job ? How are they going to get rid of all those people? Wasn't this suppose to be the biggest global leader and stable company with the biggest campus in Europe that will be hiring more and more employees in the next several decades? What happened to that story?
@4cb It is not about politics, it is about the reality affecting labour market.
If you are aware of current Serbian society affairs and the fact that next year elections will probably be held, knowing the nature of current regime, you can asume possible civil unrest and maybe even worse options.
Having all that in mind, can you be sure that many businesses will be willing to hire new people in such enviroment?
@4cb Even if they are, what then, what is the point? At best, they can enjoy for a year or some month more, after that, they will share the the same trouble as everyone else ...
@4ca Once the thousands of NCR employees show up on the market, no one will hire them... they have no skill at all except to answer emails and do a few tricks in excel ... they wont even be able to get past a simple entry level interview ..and the managers, ha all they were taught in NCR is how to write e-amils starting with " Team " " please see below "
@4ca Interesting how were back to politics on this ... so are these higher positions in Belgrade run through politics? I see a lot of executive advancements in the last few months in Belgrade for positions that are mealy for someone with no education at all. Are these people being promoted politically? Just wondering?
@4c9 Because half of the NCR is near bancrupcy, and the other half is going to be dismantled by new owner.
Your question is similar like why is cancer dying patient pi----g in diapers and womiting on itself .
Hope you can understand that the only one who need to wake up are the one coming in shorts to the office.
By the end of next year they will not have this option regardless of the cloth they would wear.
Go and try to find some other options while it is somehow possible. Once thousands of NCR employees show on labour market during election year and tremendous political instability, it will be more then difficult to find anything ...
We have noticed many many people coming into the office in swimming shorts in the past few days and wearing wife beaters to work .... is this acceptable to company police to present itself like this? We thought this was a major global world wide pronoun company with ethics and morals? Why has no one seen the GM on the floor in the last year? Why is leadership not visible to employees ? Why are we receiving compliance e-mails about discrimination and harassment if its occurring every day and no one is reacting? Why do they have an office building in Belgrade that is now slowly loosing attendance numbers by the day ? Why do we have teams coming into the office for a few hours? Why are there statements about safety concerns in this building? Why does the thread start with someone firing a LABOR UNION PRESIDENT? Why do we have empty beer cans and vodka bottles sitting in the bathroom garbage containers inside the building? Please , someone wake up !!!!!!!!!!!
@4ae Lol, what? Brinks is older than the original NCR! They are a not small player. They already do most of what Atleos does already, as well as more. Now, do they do any of it very well? I can't directly speak to that. I do know that we were slowly taking away what ATM business in various forms in my region over the years. There were a number of contracts that they tried to get but lost to us. They were losing CIT business to regional competitors as well.
But the point is, the business Atleos is bringing will in no way be foreign to them. They already have ATM service techs. They already have their own North American dispatch agents and support staff. In that light, there will almost certainly be some kind of workforce consolidation that will happen.
As others have noted, this may be a play by Brinks to basically buy new customers. NCR is no stranger to this. They have done the same many times over. The most recent Cardtronics acquisition is a perfect example of this.
The Chief Compliance Officer who gives off strong Joe Biden energy surfaced with a video today, about ethics and reporting harassment.
Ship is sinking, everyone is already looking for the exit, and the company is playing Mickey Mouse videos. The real purpose of this is to probably identify who is complaining and make sure they end up on the RIF list.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brink%27s
With 63.000 employees and all other figures, they do not look so small, even comparing to old NCR ...
@4ae depends on the reason why they are buyng the company.
They may want network, they may want some contracts, who knows ( except them) ...
One thing is certain nothing good will come out for Akeos, I am afraid that this is the end in any way ...
@4ac Well, to be honest to me it looks like that a small neighborhood's biggest grocery store is buying Target stores in US. They have the money but don't know the business at that scale. The Brink's is just doing their biggest mistake. They are not talented to run this big business. They are just amateur small neighborhood company. I promise you they will sell it to Diebold or GRG or Hitachi. And all AI sh-t our guys are fooling them about will explode on their faces.
@4aa Althoug it fits company's interest, smartest thing tobdo is to find another job while it is still somehowvpossible, although not easy at all.
Severance, no matter how much someone will get, is something that is still the amount of money to be spent on regular life expenses in just about few months, half year at most, and than what?
Best case scenario is to get severance and start a new job at the same time, but that is highly unlikely for most ...
@4a7 Here are your facts.
Brinks shareholder vote June 30th. Belgrade exists on a spreadsheet as a cost line, not a strategic asset. The people defending the company on this forum are doing it anonymously because even they know how it looks. Severance under Serbian law is one third of monthly salary per year of service, which on $800 a month is the kind of number that should make everyone think carefully about what comes next.
The only thing nobody knows is exactly when. Everything else has been made obvious...
@4a6 well they are not stupid. they just pretend it.
@4a7 you will (we all) lose your job is what going to happen. If you are subject to get a gppd severance payment, stay till the end and pretend working, if not just find a better job.
there is a lot going on here, lots of good opinions.. but just no facts yet.. anyone know what will really happen?