The President of Republika Srpska Milorad Dodik believes that workers in the public administration have good salaries and good standards, and that more attention should be paid to workers in the real sector.
Dodik noted that more than 25 percent of workers in the administration are redundant.
“But we understood that we should not now deal with the politics of layoffs because people should be provided with some kind of income in these difficult times,” Dodik told reporters.
Commenting on the demands of the five branch unions that were presented at the protests in Banja Luka last week, Dodik noted that the salaries that public administration workers currently have are also part of solidarity with other citizens of the RS.
“The fact that some from the trade union do not understand that is another issue,” said Dodik.
He said that the number of people gathered at the protest best tells what people think about it.
“The protest, which was announced for more than a month, ended with the gathering of 227 people, together with members of the police in civilian clothes. This shows the strength of that union,” said Dodik.
He noted that the RS leadership is always ready for discussions and negotiations on workers’ salaries.
“We tried to work with them, but they gave it back to us in a way that they presented the agreement in a different way than it is. They asked for one increase of five percent, then one of ten percent and a linear payment of 100 BAM. We all paid out and said that in the coming period, as soon as circumstances arise to increase wages, we will do so,” explained Dodik.
He stated that today the average salary in RS is 640 euros, and reminded that in 2006, when he came to power, it was 100 euros.
“This society is progressing and of course we want to pay the workers and keep them here, but there are objective circumstances as to what can or cannot be done. We will not jeopardize the balance sheets in the Republic in order to meet the demands of certain trade unionists who are trying to be politicians,” Dodik said, Srna reports.
