The city of Orašje has become the first city in Bosnia and Herzegovina to officially request an exemption from the decision on a non-working week in the territory of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The local government decided to take this step due to, as they state, the unfavorable situation and large economic losses for retail establishments if the decision were to remain in force.
The City Council of the City of Orašje adopted a proposal on the working hours of retail establishments with 21 votes in favor and one vote against. This paved the way for an official request to be sent to the federal Ministry of Trade. Mayor Marijan Oršolić pointed out that such a law would cause great damage to the local economy. “Such a law would damage the city by a huge amount of money. In that case, people would bypass Orašje and go to neighboring zones such as Arizona, Republika Srpska, Brčko or Pelagićevo, where shops are open, and spend their money there,” said Oršolić.
Similar concerns were expressed by the President of the City Council, Stanko Vincetić, noting that it is unfair that the ban on working on Sundays applies only to shops in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. “We are surrounded by Republika Srpska and Croatia, where shops operate, which puts us at a disadvantage,” said Vincetić.
Although the majority of councilors supported this decision, there were also different views during the discussion. Councilor Mario Pejić from HSP BiH said: “I don’t think it’s fair, above all to those people. We definitely can’t support this decision, let alone impose it on someone else.” On the other hand, the vice-president of the City Council, Alen Aljukić, emphasized that, in the event of the abolition of the non-working Sunday, workers should be provided with additional compensation. “For those workers who will work on Sundays, the daily wage should be increased, at least by 30%, which is in accordance with the Labor Law,” said Aljukić.
Citizens’ opinions on this topic are divided. The majority of residents of Orašje support non-working Sunday, believing that it promotes family values. “The workers deserved not to work, just like the rest of us,” said one citizen. However, visitors from other cities, such as Vinkovci, have a different opinion. “We often come to Orašje on Sundays and we think that shops should be open,” said one of the respondents.
The final word on this matter will be given by the federal Ministry of Trade, to which the city authorities of Orašje will soon officially submit a request for exemption from the provisions of the Law on Internal Trade, BHRT writes.
