If Krivaja is any indication, Nikšić's Government fought for workers, while Novalić's fought against them

Written by Armin Aljović

The government of Fadil Novalić has filed a criminal complaint against former Federation Prime Minister Nermin Nikšić. They accuse Nikšić of signing a contract detrimental to the government in 2014, while he was Federation Prime Minister.

Simply put, Novalić reproaches Nikšić for obligating the Federation government to recognise the years of service for several hundred workers of the ailing Krivaja company from Zavidovići.

For this project, Novalić calculated, the government needs around 43 million KM. And the government does not have that money. Nor did Fadil Novalić's government count on the workers of Krivaja. The obligations towards the workers now put pressure on the government and cause trouble for Novalić.

If this example is any indication, it can be said that the former prime minister fought for workers, while Novalić fights against workers.

The Krivaja example is not the only one showing that the current government often acts to the detriment of workers. Last week, a law was adopted that, in cases where a worker wins a lawsuit against the government, does not obligate the government to pay default interest, or obligates it at a symbolic 0.2 percent. Default interest applies in cases of citizens' debt to the state. There is no mercy or discount there, not even for the New Year holidays.

Krivaja from Zavidovići is one of the most famous wood industries in the former Yugoslavia. Due to poor business performance, bankruptcy proceedings were opened in Krivaja at the end of 2011. Until 2014, the company employed more than 1,050 workers. Today, that number has dropped to around 750 employees, who have not worked for almost the entire year. They have been on strike more than they have worked, and the strikes have brought them nothing.

On several occasions since 2011, bankruptcy trustees have tried to send Krivaja workers to the unemployment bureau and sell the company's multi-million assets. As this was the worst possible solution for Krivaja workers, Nikšić obligated the government to recognise the workers' years of service and send them into retirement as each of them meets the conditions. The move is more of a solidarity gesture, because the workers are not to blame for Krivaja not operating and for not being able to earn their deserved pensions.

If the workers had ended up at the unemployment bureau, as Novalić's government would have preferred, Krivaja workers would not have any rights today, even hypothetically. There is no government that could recognise their years of service. There would be no legal basis for such a thing, even if the will existed. Therefore, none of those workers could ever, or almost never, retire.

Even if Nikšić's move burdened the government, the new government could have corrected it. It would have been enough for the company's management to find jobs for Krivaja, and the workers themselves would have paid their pension insurance. Every worker prefers to work rather than wait for the government to decide his fate.

If saving workers from ending up on the street is a criminal act, then the then relevant minister, the entire government, and the prime minister must also be held accountable. If there are merits for this, the merits of the minister, prime minister, and government are equal.

It is indicative that Novalić does not even mention in the criminal complaint the Partnership Group that bought Krivaja in 2014, and then, in just a few months, destroyed the company beyond recognition. The Partnership Group, consisting of four local companies, did not fulfill a single important segment of the contract. Novalić does not mention this crime. If the 'disputed' government obligation towards Krivaja workers did not exist, no one would be mentioning the workers today either.