Trade Union President Mersiha Beširović Writes to Nikšić and Hasičević: You Have Shown Disrespect Towards Workers

(Patria) - President of the Trade Union of BiH Mersiha Beširović sent a letter to the Federal Prime Minister Nermin Nikšić and Minister of Trade Amir Hasičević regarding the FBiH Government's decision to allow trade to operate on January 2nd.

"It is my obligation to convey to you the bitterness and disappointment of workers in trade after yesterday, and some of them even last night just before the end of working hours, were informed by their companies' management that due to the FBiH Government's Decision, January 2nd will be a 'working day and not a holiday' for them. At the same time, just a few days earlier, and following a well-established pattern that for decades has implied discrimination and segregation of workers between the public and private sectors, the Minister of Labor, Mr. Delić, announced that January 1st and 2nd are non-working days in FBiH.

Not so long ago, with the adoption of the Law on Internal Trade of FBiH and specifically Article 18 of this Law, as well as the Decision on increasing the minimum wage for 2025, workers gained hope that finally, after 30 years of an almost slave-like relationship in the labor market in the private sector, better days are coming for workers, and that this segregation will finally begin to decrease, and workers' rights will be equalized.

We are aware of all the pressures that have been ongoing throughout 2025 regarding amendments to the Law that brought workers the long-awaited free Sunday and holidays. They themselves are victims of this pressure, but yesterday's decision shows that the FBiH Government does not have the strength to resist such pressures and is willing to make compromises in the interest of capital that are unacceptable to workers.

For days, workers have been enduring agony due to increased traffic during the holidays, working overtime, with injuries and muscle inflammation from working on meat and cheese slicing machines, enduring the nervousness and frustrations of customers. They stoically endured the decision on the shameful increase in the minimum wage, on which many of their incomes depend. All with a smile. Only to be humiliated last night and treated like merchandise on their shelves, with their place on the shelf for the next day being determined at the end of working hours.

We are aware that some political options underestimate the open voting power of trade workers, but at the last municipal elections, they showed that they know their strength, and in the upcoming very important election year, the trust of this segment of the working class, as well as their families, should be a motive for every serious party, as well as for every position and opposition, to take steps and make decisions in their interest. We expected this Government to understand the need of trade workers not for higher incomes and rights, but for dignity.

Making such a decision in the pre-holiday period, excluding the union from that process although we have been an important factor in it so far, is not a message of respect to workers, but on the contrary, a direct blow to the dignity of their work.

We understand who the initiators of such a decision are and what the motives are, but we do not understand the intentions of the Government, which plans to create a labor market in FBiH that will be attractive for work and the stay of workers in BiH.

Finally, I am sorry that I cannot wish you a Happy New Year. I cannot do that on behalf of the members of STBiH, as well as a huge number of workers who were active on the STBiH social network all last night and who shared their anger and disappointment publicly and asked us to address you on their behalf in this way. I must once again convey to you in what spirit they are welcoming the New Year 2026.

There is still hope among workers that 2026 will not be the year when trade workers will lose their hard-won right to a non-working Sunday, as well as non-working holidays, and that this decision will not become a practice, as workers rightly fear, but their disappointment, anger, and bitterness have replaced the pre-holiday spirit and the joy of the holidays, and unfortunately, their New Year begins with them, thanks to you," the statement reads.