Employees of the Tax Administration of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH) are set to begin a strike tomorrow, August 31, citing demands for higher salaries and an increase in the number of employees.

The strike committee of the Trade Union Organization of the FBiH Tax Administration is expected to announce further trade union activities aimed at improving the labor and employment status of employees, in accordance with the Rules on Organizing and Conducting a Strike.

The employees’ main demands are an increase in salaries and the employment of additional staff. They argue that their current salaries do not adequately reflect the complexity and importance of the work they perform.

According to the union, the average basic salary of inspectors is only slightly above 1,500 KM, despite the fact that they perform duties considered crucial to the functioning of the Federation’s financial system.

Another major issue is the shortage of employees. The union claims that, according to the systematization adopted in 2013, the Tax Administration is currently short of around 500 employees.

“A lot has changed in the last 13 years. Laws have changed, more work has been added to us, but the systematization has remained the same,” said Almir Vranešić, union commissioner of the Sarajevo Cantonal Tax Office.

Employees say they have been attempting to resolve the issue through social dialogue with the Federal Government for more than a year. They also went through the reconciliation process, but no progress was made.

They say they have not received an explanation as to why their demands have not been addressed. BHRT also sought a response from the Federal Ministry of Finance, but no answer was received.

The FBiH Employers’ Association also warned about the consequences of insufficient inspection capacity, arguing that a shortage of inspectors can contribute to the expansion of the gray economy.

“Perhaps the best example of this is the Law on Internal Trade and that famous non-working Sunday, where you see that after a year or so all small traders are working. So the inspection simply does not have the capacity to implement some legal solutions. Do not introduce a rule if you will not be able to implement it, so I think that the inspections should significantly organize their work,” said Nihad Imširović, president of the FBiH Employers’ Association.

The Tax Administration employees have received support from the umbrella trade union in their efforts to achieve their demands.

The inspectors have emphasized that, during the strike, they will respect the legally prescribed minimum working conditions. This means that they will continue to perform duties that cannot be postponed, despite the industrial action.