The President of the Association of Independent Trade Unions of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), Samir Kurtovic, emphasized that the minimum wage in 2026 must rise to 1.200 BAM, with clearly defined pay grades linked to education level.
After the session of the Economic-Social Council for the territory of the Federation of BiH (FBiH), Kurtovic stated that if the minimum wage were 1.200 BAM, then a worker with a secondary school education should receive 1.400 BAM, and with a university degree 1.600 BAM.
“The amount by which contributions were reduced should have been added to the workers’ salaries, not kept by certain employers, and therefore we expect the Government of FBiH at the next ESC session to provide a list of employers who acted in this way,” Kurtovicemphasized.
The Chairman of the ESC, Safudin Cengic, stated that he believes all three social partners will find an adequate solution for the minimum wage in 2026.
He stressed that representatives of the trade unions, employers, and the Government of FBiH must be responsible and ensure that no action jeopardizes the survival of a job or company.
As a positive example of pay grades, he noted that the Transport Workers’ Union and employers in that sector in 2016 agreed that the minimum wage is the one set by the Government of FBiH, and that a job with a secondary education receives a salary 10 percent higher, and with a university degree 20 percent higher than the minimum.
