Sarajevo Canton Police to be among the highest paid in the region

(Patria) - Prime Minister of Sarajevo Canton Nihad Uk and President of the Sarajevo Canton Police Union Sadik Ećo today signed a new Collective Agreement between the Government of Sarajevo Canton and the Sarajevo Canton Police Union. The signing was also attended by the Minister of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Sarajevo Canton Admir Katica, who actively participated in the negotiations with the Police Union that preceded this signing and which enabled improvements compared to the previous collective agreement.

Prime Minister of Sarajevo Canton Nihad Uk commented on the negotiations that preceded the signing, saying that it is satisfying when partners negotiate in this way and reach agreements to mutual satisfaction, without blackmail, strike threats, and the like.

"The Government of Sarajevo Canton has shown through this collective agreement what our ambitions are towards the police in KS. I stopped comparing the Sarajevo Canton police with other cantons a long time ago, because we are one of the regional leaders in this context, in terms of equipping, material capacitating our police, and improving working conditions, and we will continue this in the future," stated Prime Minister Uk.

Sarajevo Canton Police among the highest paid in the region

According to Minister Katica, the new Collective Agreement between the Government of Sarajevo Canton and the Sarajevo Canton Police Union follows the strategic commitment to building a strong police force in Sarajevo Canton, because only a strong police force can guarantee the safety of citizens.

"By signing this Collective Agreement, our police are becoming one of the highest paid in the region. In addition to increasing the base value from 330 to 385, we have also provided for a 5% bonus on the basic salary in the collective agreement. Furthermore, in the previous collective agreement, we established compensation for work under special working conditions for the police, which are the highest in the region, and we are proud of that because our police deserve material recognition for their work," stated Minister Katica, who thanked the Government of Sarajevo Canton for supporting all projects of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Sarajevo Canton.

Salary increase of 200 KM and upwards

According to the President of the Sarajevo Canton Police Union Sadik Ećo, the increase in income for police officers will depend on pay grades and coefficients, but on average, salaries will increase by 200 KM and upwards. Ećo emphasized that they owe the greatest gratitude to Minister Katica, who has always been on the side of police officers and fought for their better material position.

"This is the third collective agreement we are signing since Minister Katica has been at the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and I want to express my gratitude for the willingness to reach an agreement and improve conditions. I can safely say that the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Sarajevo Canton can be an example of how social dialogue should be conducted when it comes to negotiations on a collective agreement. This collective agreement has improved the material position, as well as the labor-legal status of police officers. The Union fully supports all projects of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Sarajevo Canton and everything that is constructive for the ministry and the police administration," stated Ećo.

It was highlighted that in order to strengthen police structures and capacities, 195 new police officers were employed in 2023, and the application procedure for hiring another 250 police officers and 30 junior inspectors is underway. Minister Admir Katica announced that in 2024, he will request consent from the Government of Sarajevo Canton to hire another 200 police officers into the ranks of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Sarajevo Canton.