Trade Union of Civil Servants and Employees of KS: We do not agree with the amendments to the Law on Civil Service and Salaries and Allowances

(Patria) - The Independent Trade Union of Civil Servants and Employees of Sarajevo Canton has issued a statement regarding tomorrow's session of the KS Assembly, which will consider amendments to the Law on Civil Service and the Law on Salaries and Allowances in government bodies. They emphasize once again that these amendments will not lead to an increase in the salary grades of civil servants and employees.

"The only amendment being considered that relates to the part of the Law concerning the salary grades of civil servants and employees pertains to the salary grades of the secretaries of the Assembly and the Government of Sarajevo Canton.

Other coefficients have remained unchanged for years and will remain the same as prescribed by the Law on Salaries and Allowances in government bodies of Sarajevo Canton (Official Gazette of Sarajevo Canton, number: 5/19).

The Independent Trade Union of Civil Servants and Employees of Sarajevo Canton has been actively negotiating with the Government of Sarajevo Canton for over five years regarding an increase in coefficients for civil servants and employees.

Unfortunately, the status of these employees has been impossible to change for years, as the salary grades for civil servants and employees are prescribed by a federal law, which applies equally to all civil servants and employees throughout the Federation of BiH. This means that changes cannot be achieved through a collective agreement, which is the practice in other sectors.

The Independent Trade Union of Civil Servants and Employees of Sarajevo Canton has on countless occasions addressed representatives of the authorities at the federal level of BiH with the aim of encouraging the authorities to initiate the long-announced amendments to the Law on Salaries, given the situation on the ground. These amendments are necessary and needed, as employees in lower salary grades (unskilled workers) have caught up with referents with secondary education in terms of their salaries.

This situation is unacceptable, considering that it concerns salary grades 2.6 and 2.7, which are among the most numerous in civil service.

Finally, we want to clearly state that the Independent Trade Union of Civil Servants and Employees of Sarajevo Canton does not agree with most of the proposed amendments," the Trade Union states.

They expect their professionally reasoned opinion to be accepted by the representatives in the Assembly of Sarajevo Canton, especially in the part concerning the rights and labor-legal status of civil servants.

"The Trade Union hereby calls on the public to be correctly informed and not to fall for inaccurate information that may lead to confusion. A fair and transparent process is of key importance for all employees in the civil service, and the Trade Union will continue to advocate for the rights of our members and the improvement of their status, because Together we are stronger," the Trade Union conveys.