Bandić: Union demands are realistic, there is money, but it needs to be managed properly

(Patria) - Representatives of the Coordination of Trade Unions in Sarajevo Canton held meetings today with the parliamentary groups of the Party for BiH and Our Party in the Sarajevo Canton Assembly.

The meetings were organized after the Sarajevo Canton Government did not accept the trade unions' demands for the payment of a one-time financial aid and an increase in the base for salary calculation in 2025, after which the Coordination of Seven Trade Unions decided to hold a protest rally on November 29.

Representatives of the Coordination of Trade Unions - Deputy President Elvis Zornić, Admir Šuvalić, Senad Sadiković, Enes Šabić, and Amir Muminović presented the trade union demands and expressed objections to two documents that are in the parliamentary procedure, namely the Draft Budget of Sarajevo Canton for 2025 and the Draft Law on the Execution of the Sarajevo Canton Budget for 2025.

They also presented the current situation in education, healthcare, judiciary, civil service, and communal economy in Sarajevo Canton.

Representatives of the Coordination reiterated today that they expect support based on all the realistic indicators they have presented and that they will not give up on their demands.

At the meeting with the parliamentary group of the Party for BiH, the president of this group, Muamer Bandić, stated that he supports the work of the trade unions and everything done in accordance with the law, and that the trade unions' demands are realistic.

- There is money, but it needs to be managed properly and the budget needs to be 'serious', and someone needs to allocate those funds correctly - said Bandić.

He added that at the beginning of the year, the Sarajevo Canton Government had the stance that the cantonal base would follow the base at the level of the Federation of BiH, and this should have been respected.

At the meeting with the parliamentary group of Our Party, MPs Vibor Handžić, Vildana Bešlija, and Miomirka Melank stated that due to the weights, Sarajevo Canton has experienced a loss of revenue.

They emphasized that they understand the current situation with increased living costs, and said that most of the money in the cantonal budget goes to salaries. They added that everyone must be aware of the complete situation and that quality solutions need to be found.

Yesterday, the Coordination of Trade Unions held meetings with the parliamentary groups of SDA and NIP in the Sarajevo Canton Assembly, and a meeting with the parliamentary group of SDP BiH is planned for tomorrow.

The president and some members of the Coordination of Trade Unions were justifiably absent from today's meetings.