Union and Airport Workers Write to FBiH Government: Is the New Management Responsible for the Concession and is the FDS Case Repeating?

(Patria) - The union and workers of J.P. International Airport Sarajevo d.o.o. Sarajevo have sent a protest letter to the FBiH Government and the Federal Ministry of Transport and Communications due to the illegal and unjustified dismissal of the Management. New directors from the ruling coalition have already been proposed.

"We are addressing you regarding the information that the Government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, at its 49th session, adopted a Decision on giving prior consent for the dismissal of the old and appointment of the new Management of the Company. On this occasion, we express extreme concern and opposition to such a decision, and the reasons are objective and proven.

Let's go in order: For a long time, there have been public discussions about intentions to grant the International Airport Sarajevo a concession, and we are sure that the reason for dismissing THE MOST SUCCESSFUL MANAGEMENT IN THE HISTORY of this public company lies precisely in this intention. Because how else can we justify the fact that the director, or rather the Management of the Company, who in just three years achieved results that other airports and other managements have not and could not achieve in decades, is being dismissed? How else can we justify the fact that such a dismissal occurs without the Company's Assembly considering the Report on the Company's Operations for 2023? How else can we justify the fact that such a dismissal occurs at the peak of the development expansion of this public company? How else can we justify such a fact when all eminent experts warn that this is "notorious stupidity and madness"? What message is being sent to the workers of this public company? That everything they have done under the leadership of the current Management in these three years is in vain, and do you realize that in this way the interests of certain politics are being placed above the interests of this public company, its workers, but ultimately also above the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which has benefited exceptionally from the development expansion of Sarajevo International Airport?

Is the scenario of the Sarajevo Tobacco Factory repeating? Because everything that has been done indicates a clear intention for the newly appointed Management to implement the announced concession of this public company. There is not a single reasonable argument that would justify granting this public company a concession, as all purposes of its existence and current mode of operation have been met, even beyond expectations.

Namely, the current Management of the Company has succeeded in attracting a large number of airlines, including low-cost airlines, but not at the expense of profit (which someone else would do, or which would be expected). The management of this public company, with the help and cooperation of government bodies, has created business models that have provided incentives and attracted airlines, while simultaneously achieving record profits, considering the other content and policies that accompanied these incentives. Thus, the public interest of citizens in terms of opening a record number of new air routes has been met, and the interest of the owner, the Government of the Federation of BiH, in terms of achieving record profits has also been met. And all this directly after the Covid pandemic, from which many airports are still recovering and certainly cannot boast of breaking business performance records like Sarajevo International Airport can. In addition to all of the above, working conditions for the employees of this public company have also improved, which is commendable.

We hereby demand an answer to the following questions:

- Are you aware of the fact that each member of the previous Management of this public company individually had nearly 30 years of work experience in civil aviation?
- What is the reason and justification for the dismissal of the current Management of the Company?
- Have you familiarized yourself with the Report on the Operations of J.P. International Airport "Sarajevo" d.o.o. Sarajevo for 2023, have you even looked at it?
- Why was the report on operations for 2023 not considered within the LEGAL deadline by the Company's Assembly?
- Are you aware of what has been done at Sarajevo International Airport in the last three years?
- What are the qualifications of the newly appointed Management that justify the dismissal of the current Management?
- Why are capable and professional people being dismissed and what is the strategic goal of the new Management of Sarajevo International Airport?
- Does the newly appointed director have five years of experience in management positions in civil aviation in accordance with the Company's Statute?

Attached to this letter, we are submitting media articles, i.e., analyses by aviation experts who have commented on this move by the Government of the Federation of BiH, concluding that this move is undoubtedly detrimental to Sarajevo International Airport, its workers, and the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

We demand an URGENT response to the posed questions (no later than Tuesday, November 26th, by 4:00 PM), otherwise, we warn you that the Independent Union of Airport Workers and the workers will undertake all legally available mechanisms, even radical ones, in order to protect the rights of the workers of this Company and this public company as a whole," the protest letter states.