Several hundred retail workers opposed to the abolition of Sunday off in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina protested in Sarajevo with the message “We will not give Sunday”.
At the protests of the Trade and Service Workers’ Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina (STBiH), the crowd carried banners that read: “We won’t give Sunday”, “Our Sunday is not on the campaign trail”, “We won’t have 16 or 18 Sundays”, “Working Sunday = Stolen Family”.
The crowd also called out federal representative Admir Čavalic with a banner: “Čavalic, are you resting on Sunday?”.
The reason for the protest was the outcry over the announcement of the introduction of 16 or 18 working weeks a year, which would change the current law that prescribes non-working Sundays in trade throughout the year, with several legal exceptions.
The workers said that the proposal on working weeks threatens their right to a dignified life, rest and time with their family, emphasizing that Sunday is not a luxury, but a minimum of humanity that must not be the subject of political calculations.
At the session of the Economic and Social Council for the territory of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina held on April 29, the federal Prime Minister Nermin Nikšić announced is amendments to the Law on Internal Trade.
According to the model considered in the Federation of BiH, a ban on working on Sundays is envisaged, except for a maximum of 16 to 18 selected Sundays per year at the free decision of the trader and the obligation to pay significantly increased compensation to workers for working on Sundays. A similar model is in use in Croatia.
Photo: BHRT/Lejla Celjo
