Financial collapse at Olympic Pool Otoka: Workers on the edge, management seeking solutions

(Patria) - For some time now, there has been dissatisfaction among the workers at JP Olimpijski bazen Otoka, and the latest delay in salaries seems to have been the last straw, leading to various complaints and letters to the media revealing many details about the operations of the Olympic Pool Otoka.

Avdija Hasanović (NIP), director of Bazeni Otoka, confirmed to Patria the delay in salary payments, but stated that employee salaries have been mostly regular since the Pool's inception. However...

„I don't think that even in the toughest periods (like Corona) salaries were delayed for more than a month. Salaries for employees at the Olympic Pool Otoka have indeed been delayed by a few days this month. The reason is the delay in the monthly tranche that our founder - the City, according to the signed contract, pays us by the 10th of the month for the previous month. The mere fact that salaries were delayed by a few days is not dramatic because it is common for our largest expenses during the year, due to overhead costs, to be in the winter period, while revenues are lowest,“ says Hasanović.

However, for the Pool employees, it is dramatic because some have already received warnings from banks due to loan obligations, especially because they claim the director threatened to somehow pay them the February salary, and other salaries are questionable, meaning there has been an absolute collapse and everyone is fending for themselves.

Employees point out that the director often tells workers that they received a notice from the Indirect Taxation Authority in the amount of 230,000 KM.

“This is precisely what has led to dissatisfied users, poor maintenance of the sanitary and hygienic conditions of the pool, which cannot meet the proposed measures issued by the Institute of Public Health, but rather outside the regulations, on his own initiative (like all other things, non-payment of VAT, he manages independently in a way that hides all problems, in order to retain his position until the end of his term),” state the employees.

In response to an inquiry, Hasanović admitted to Patria that he is currently facing problems that could complicate the operations of Bazeni Otoka in the future.

“Our overhead costs are enormous, there has been an increase in energy prices, and our service prices and budget co-financing item have remained at last year's level. Systemic financing of our projects has not yet been resolved due to unclear responsibilities of different levels of government. Legal adjustments to the minimum employee wage will require an additional 130,000 KM which is not planned in our budget this year.

As is known, for years we have been facing a problem with the Indirect Taxation Authority, which taxes our mandatory swimming school project. The swimming school is within the school system, and the Olympic Pool Otoka is the implementer of this project. Recently, the ITA issued us the latest Decision for VAT based on the implementation of the swimming school in the amount of approximately 240,000 KM,” says Hasanović.

He adds that the pool is 17 years old, and many technological units are outdated and need replacement for the Pool to continue operating.

“Only at the end of last year did we secure funds for the renovation of the most urgent needs. The implementation of these procurements is currently underway. These are just some of the problems we are currently facing. The situation, however, in my opinion, is not alarming, and we hope that with the representatives of our Founder, the City of Sarajevo, and the competent cantonal ministries and municipalities, we will find a way to overcome these problems together,” says Hasanović.

Employees, however, claim that Hasanović, through inadequate leadership and management of JP Olimpijski bazen, has lost cooperation with the Faculty of Sports, where students had mandatory pedagogical practice for the subject of swimming.

“He has poor relations with clubs that use time slots, as well as with municipalities and the KS, because he is seeking the same projects at different levels of government. He has lost leadership in the development of swimming sports by opening a pool in Vogosca and preparing to open a new pool at the Faculty of Sports and Physical Education. He has brought the existence of employees to the brink by hiring over 35 new employees, most of whom are useless. Most are in administration where there is only room for the favored, and the first ('old') employees represent a ballast and burden to him. He threatens dismissals, implementing some recovery plans where he would lay off employees,” state the employees.

Hasanović, however, responds that a recovery program is a radical, legally prescribed method and way to overcome serious problems in public enterprises.

“We are convinced that we will not be forced to resort to radical 'recovery' measures such as laying off employees. Better organization, a more efficient and rational system, including in the segment of employee utilization, is certainly an option on which, I am convinced, we can achieve drastic savings.

The goal of the Management, among others, is also to find solutions that would be for the general benefit not only of the Company, but also of all employees, as well as our numerous users,” states Hasanović.