Who is questioning the salaries of University of Sarajevo employees: Rector Zaimović will speak about the current situation tomorrow

(Patria) - The leadership of the University of Sarajevo and representatives of the Student Parliament of UNSA will hold a press conference on Wednesday regarding current issues at the University. The conference will be held at the UNSA Rectorate at 10 AM. The University of Sarajevo is currently in a legal vacuum, and it seems that such a situation suits many. Whether the oldest public university in BiH is finally being dismantled will become clearer in the coming days.

The Rector of the University of Sarajevo, Tarik Zaimović, will also speak about the payment of salaries to the University employees, given that information has emerged that the KS Ministry of Finance is problematizing the rector's signature and allegedly does not want to approve salary payments. There are 2,700 employees at the University of Sarajevo.

Although Zaimović took over as Rector on October 1st, due to the actions of the Cantonal Administration for Inspection Affairs, the responsible minister for science, higher education, and youth Adna Mesihović (ZNG), and the Municipal Court in Sarajevo, there has still been no change of the authorized person for representation in the court register. However, according to Patria's information, this procedure is underway regardless of the inspectors' and the Ministry's decisions.

On Friday, December 5th, the University of Sarajevo issued a statement emphasizing that salaries are paid in accordance with the law and the collective agreement, and that salary payments for UNSA are made in the same way as for all budget users.

“The Rectorate of the University of Sarajevo, in accordance with the Senate's decision, sent a request for the reallocation of funds at the beginning of November, which secured salaries for those constituent units that lacked funds within their budgetary limits for November, and which the Government of Sarajevo Canton duly approved.

Salary payments have never been jeopardized so far, and the Government of Sarajevo Canton is obliged to provide any missing funds for December salary payments, in accordance with the information that the University of Sarajevo has regularly sent to the Ministry throughout the year,” stated UNSA.

Regarding the salaries of university staff, they must be secured in accordance with the Government's obligations undertaken by signing acts, and any payment of salaries to budget users of Sarajevo Canton that excludes the University of Sarajevo constitutes a serious violation of the law. It should be reminded that the University of Sarajevo has a signed Collective Agreement concluded by the KS Government, and everyone is obliged to adhere to legal regulations.

The actions of the responsible minister, and now the Minister of Finance Afan Kalamujić, who comes from the same political party (ZNG), jeopardize the smooth operation of the University of Sarajevo, not only in terms of regular salary payments but also in daily operations, as well as the implementation of domestic and international projects.

Furthermore, at tomorrow's public address, Rector Zaimović will present the facts regarding all three findings mentioned in the Decision of the Cantonal Administration for Inspection Affairs.

We remind you that the CAIA, and then the Ministry by rejecting the appeal of the University of Sarajevo, ordered the annulment of the competition and the election of Rector Tarik Zaimović himself. Although the entire process was carried out in July, the CAIA's action occurred with a delay, and the University of Sarajevo was brought into an unprecedented situation where it is being forcibly left without a leader, and it is ordered to appoint an acting rector.

The UNSA Senate met on November 21st and decided to initiate administrative litigation regarding the current issues with a request for a temporary measure.