Amendments to the Law on Police Officers of FBiH are unacceptable to trade unions, police officers do not want to work until age 65!

(Patria) - The next session of the House of Representatives of the FBiH Parliament is scheduled for December 29, with six items on the agenda, three of which are laws: the Proposal for the Law on Transaction Fiscalization in the Federation of BiH, the Proposal for the Law on Mediation in Employment and Social Security of Unemployed Persons, and the Proposal for the Law on Amendments to the Law on Employment of Foreigners. However, there is a possibility that an addition to the agenda will be requested to include the Draft Law on Amendments to the Law on Police Officers of FBiH. The Minister of the FBiH Ministry of Interior, Ramo Isak, previously explained that the amendments allow all police officers who meet the conditions for retirement but are younger than 65 to remain in service as long as the service requires, but no later than December 31, 2027.

The amendments to the law also allow for internal transfers from one police agency to another, which were temporary in nature until now.

The Federation of Trade Unions of Police Officers and Employees in the Ministries of Internal Affairs of FBiH also commented on these amendments, sending a letter to the FBiH Parliament requesting the withdrawal of the law from parliamentary procedure, which was received on December 17.

They informed the parliamentarians that the relevant trade union organizations were not included in the drafting process at all, nor did they have the opportunity to provide an opinion or participate in consultations.

“This represents a flagrant violation of the principles of social dialogue and the disregard of trade unions as a legally relevant party in the creation of regulations that directly affect the labor-legal status of police officers,” the Federation’s request states.

The Federation of Trade Unions also warns that the proposed amendments are not in the interest of the majority of police officers, but are solely aimed at enabling benefits for a very narrow circle of management staff with high ranks. They state that extending the working life of police managers would lead to stagnation and a blockage of professional advancement for hundreds of junior and mid-level police officers, disrupt the hierarchical system, and slow down necessary personnel changes. The proposed extension of working life undermines the very concept of beneficial service years that police officers have. With 30 years of service, they have an additional ten years of beneficial service, which allows them to retire earlier due to the complexity of their work.

“Any amendment to a key law must be aimed at improving, not jeopardizing, the rights of police officers,” the Federation states.

The Federation of Trade Unions also recalled a similar proposal for legal amendments at the state level that were not adopted solely thanks to the timely reaction of the trade unions.

The Federation of Trade Unions of Police Officers and Employees in the FBiH Ministries of Internal Affairs demands the immediate withdrawal of the Draft Law on Amendments to the Law on Police Officers of FBiH from parliamentary procedure, and the mandatory inclusion of trade unions in all future processes of drafting, amending, and supplementing laws and regulations concerning the employment status and rights of police officers.