Union of Civil Servants and Employees of Sarajevo Canton tells Uku: If no agreement on the base salary by March 31, protests will follow

(Patria) - The Independent Union of Civil Servants and Employees of Sarajevo Canton has sent a letter to the Prime Minister of Sarajevo Canton, Nihad Uk, demanding an urgent continuation of social dialogue and reaching an agreement on increasing the base for salary calculation.

“Dear Prime Minister, we are addressing you in this manner because for five full months now you have remained silent on all correspondence sent to you by the unions and have ignored their will for social dialogue. Within that dialogue, the unions wish to discuss a justified increase in the base for salary calculation for all workers who receive their salaries from the Budget of Sarajevo Canton.

We are not aware if you realize that everything has its level of tolerance and understanding, and our understanding ends on March 31, 2025.

In October 2024, we had negotiations that were declared unsuccessful for us, during which you did not present valid arguments as to why it is not possible to increase the base for salary calculation. Our response was protests in November, which saw a large number of dissatisfied civil servants and employees, teachers, professors, healthcare workers, and workers in the communal economy of Sarajevo Canton.

Honorable Prime Minister, we remind you that only your Government has not shown sensitivity towards workers. Today, in 2025, the base for salary calculation in Sarajevo Canton is the lowest in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Our union, as the representative union for all civil servants and employees under the Government of Sarajevo Canton as employer, actively participates in organizing and implementing all activities carried out by the Coordination of Unions of Sarajevo Canton. This Coordination has sent you a series of requests and urgings for meetings to open a new round of negotiations on the base before the expiration of temporary financing.

Your government continues to remain silent, does not respond to official correspondence, but communicates with us through the media and portals. It is becoming clear that it is the unions who want to talk at the table, and you who want to make unilateral decisions and impose them on us workers.

In the meantime, while you remain silent, consumer prices are rising in Sarajevo Canton, the price of one bread roll has reached 1.50 KM, while electricity has gone up and an increase in all utility services is expected, all other cantonal governments have signed increases in bases for 2025 with the unions, and the Government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina has increased the base to 480 KM for all civil servants and employees working in FBiH government bodies and made a decision to increase the minimum wage to 1000 KM.

Civil servants and employees daily perform their jobs with maximum dedication and professionalism in all bodies of the state service of Sarajevo Canton (judicial institutions, institutes, ministries, and other public institutions), as well as firefighters who are at the disposal of their fellow citizens 24 hours a day. Their disciplined work enables the normal functioning of all institutions, and thus the normal functioning of Sarajevo Canton. As such, they do not deserve the ignorant behavior of the Government of Sarajevo Canton.

Every day, the union receives many inquiries about the base and whether there will be a meeting between the unions and the Government. Our answer is that we are waiting for the Government of Sarajevo Canton to take responsibility and initiative, break the silence and ignorant behavior, and invite us to the table to reach an agreement.

Mr. Prime Minister, at the time of writing this letter, until the expiration of temporary financing, specifically March 31, exactly 18 days remain, of which 12 are working days. We, from the Union of Civil Servants and Employees of Sarajevo Canton, hope that the meeting will take place and that the Government and unions will reach an agreement.

However, we have an obligation and need to inform you, as this is also the reason for writing this letter, that if the Government and unions do not reach an agreement, if it happens that the Government unilaterally makes a decision again and does not increase the base by March 31, 2025, you will have a serious problem.

The state service will initiate all activities and preparations for organizing and implementing protests, a warning strike, and also a general strike, in accordance with applicable laws and regulations and the Collective Agreement, which you will not be able to prevent.

Prime Minister, consider this letter as an invitation for social dialogue, which is an invitation from all civil servants and employees working in the bodies of the state service of Sarajevo Canton. We are sure that colleagues from other branches have a similar stance. With respect,” the letter states.