Problems Remain Unresolved: Director Ovčina Has Conditions for Retirement, Three Employees Leave NUB BiH

(Patria) - Problems at the National and University Library of BiH are still ongoing, and it seems everyone is washing their hands of responsibility and concern for this institution, which is of great importance to BiH. Employees have not been paid for months, and they have informed the public that they will close their doors at the end of this month because they cannot exercise their basic rights.

Slobodna Bosna published a document signed and certified by the library director Ismet Ovčina, who, although he should be retiring, has his own conditions for when and how he will leave.

Although Ovčina is officially on annual leave according to a decision he wrote, signed, and certified himself with the Library's stamp, which began on 07/29/2024, the appointee still comes to the Library's headquarters, exerts various pressures on employees, and hides the stamp, according to employees.

"The collective of the National and University Library of BiH has asked Ovčina to commit in writing that he will sign his retirement decision upon completion of his annual leave. The appointee has continued to postpone his retirement by signing a type of notice and conditioning his retirement on the settlement of outstanding financial obligations to him and obtaining a Certificate of Paid Taxes and Contributions from the Tax Administration (which is impossible until a decision on termination of employment due to retirement is submitted).

The collective of NUB BiH has also sent a letter and requested an URGENT inspection from the Ministry of Justice of BiH, i.e., the Administrative Inspectorate, and through this channel, they are appealing to all other inspectorates at all levels to get involved and conduct an inspection.

From all of the above, it is clear that Ovčina is acting extremely selfishly, not thinking about the 41 families who clearly depend on his goodwill.

"As of the moment of writing this statement, we have not received any feedback regarding the resolution of our status, and three young, capable employees have left the institution, which will ultimately lead to the Library not having to close its doors, but rather there will be no one to work in it," stated the Collective of NUB.