On the occasion of International Workers’ Day, the President of the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions of Bosnia and Herzegovina (SSSBiH), Selvedin Satorovic, spoke about the expectations from the new government with an emphasis on the adoption of the Law on the minimum wage of 1.000 BAM for all workers.
Satorovic said that on October 5th, 2022, the House of Representatives, on the proposal of the SSSBiH, adopted a law that implies a minimum wage of 1.000 BAM for workers, that they then waited for the constitution of the executive power at the Federation of BiH (FBiH) level because the previous one was against the adoption of that law, and that they are happy that in the exposé of the newly elected Prime Minister Nermin Niksic, one of the points was the Law on Minimum Wage.
“We expect concrete steps on this issue. We even expect debates and amendments from the parliamentarians that will relate to making that salary even higher than 1.000 BAM. Why? When this law was proposed in this form, we did not have inflation and an increase in the price of basic foodstuffs, and that is precisely why we expect that amount to be increased and worthy of a human being,” Satorovic stated and added that the contacts with the new government will go in that direction and that he is convinced that the Law will soon be implemented.
He said that the previous government was not directed towards workers but employers, which is why the Labor Law was adopted under police protection and a protest of 15.000 people, which resulted in the departure of half a million people.
“We expect a balance from the new government, between the interests of the state and employers. We don’t want companies to shut down, but we also don’t want to weaken the state at the expense of workers and individuals to get rich. We have been building the country for 28 years, we have strong budgets and institutions, our employers are on the Forbes list, and now it is finally time for the worker to get satisfaction and for his work to be valued in his country,” Satorovic added.
In the end, he emphasized that it is unthinkable that a worker in BiH works 8 to 10 hours for the hourly wage he earns abroad.
“We expect a better distribution of profits where the majority of the pie will go to the workers. The interest of the state and employers is also important to us because we lack workforce, and the import of workers from the countries of the Middle East does not meet our needs,” concluded Satorovic, Klix.ba reports.
