Kuskunović: Health workers should receive full salary if on sick leave due to COVID

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - SARS-CoV-2, commonly known as coronavirus, has not yet been included in the Rulebook on the list of occupational diseases in the Federation of BiH. This means that health workers, as well as other workers in the healthcare sector, have their salaries reduced if they go on sick leave due to infection with this virus. Amela Kuskunović, a representative of Our Party in the Parliament of the Federation of BiH, has submitted an initiative to amend the Rulebook so that health workers and healthcare workers do not face at least financial consequences due to the disease to which they are most exposed.

“Health workers and healthcare workers are on the front lines of the fight against the virus that has stopped the world. They have borne the greatest sacrifices and renunciations in the past seven months. In addition, health workers are the most exposed to infection. It is extremely unfair to financially harm those who risk their health to save lives. They are not asking for rewards and recognition for performing their duties, but to financially harm them in case they get sick is a defeat for a society. The Ministry should have initiated the amendments to the rulebook to regulate this problem back in March of this year. It is shameful that Minister Vesko Drljača and the relevant ministry did not recognize this problem. That is why Our Party has sent an urgent proposal to amend the Rulebook on the supplement to the Rulebook on the list of occupational diseases, which does not include SARS-CoV-2. We are asking for this proposal to be considered at tomorrow's session of the House of Representatives of the Parliament of the FBiH,” said Kuskunović.

She reminded that Sanja Renić, a representative of Our Party in the Assembly of Zenica-Doboj Canton, submitted a similar initiative in that canton, where discrimination against workers infected with coronavirus is occurring. Namely, some workers infected with coronavirus receive their full salary while on sick leave, while others receive 80 percent.