SPS Union Claims January Salaries Will Be Late Because the BiH Ministry of Finance Is Switching to a New System

(Patria) - The Union of the Service for Foreigners' Affairs has expressed serious concern over the announced delay in the payment of salaries for January 2026, justified by the Ministry of Finance's transition to a new payment system or upgrade of the existing system.

From the SPS, they state that employees live on their salaries and that technical problems, system changes, or administrative failures cannot and must not be an excuse for salary delays.

"Salary is a legally guaranteed right of employees and must be paid within the prescribed deadlines. Internal weaknesses of the system must not be resolved at the expense of employees. We particularly emphasize that most employees have credit obligations and other financial contracts, and that the delay in the January 2026 salary directly produces additional costs in the form of interest, penalties, and damaged credit ratings.

We pose a clear question: who will bear the costs of interest and damages that employees suffer due to salary delays for which they are not responsible? In current practice, employees are once again becoming 'financial partners of the state,' but without any rights, protection, or benefits.

The Union considers this practice unacceptable and warns that in this way, the system's responsibility is shifted exclusively to employees, who are effectively lending to the state with their own funds, without interest and without consent," they state from the SPS.

They further state that an additional problem is the fact that the decision on the basis for salary calculation is not being applied, because its application is conditioned on the adoption of the Budget of the institutions of BiH, which was not adopted by December 31, 2025. Although the decision was made, it remains unimplemented, and employees are once again placed in a state of legal and existential uncertainty.

The Union clearly states that employees in BiH institutions must not be hostages of political

blockades, budget delays, and technical disorganization.

"We demand respect for the legal deadlines for salary payments in accordance with the current practice by the 5th of the month (it would be good to establish this deadline in the Collective Agreement), urgent implementation of the adopted decision on the basis, and an end to the practice of workers bearing the consequences of systemic failures. If this practice continues, the Unions will be forced to take all legally permitted measures to protect the rights, interests, and dignity of employees in the institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina," they state from the SPS.

From the SPS, they state that through internal sources they received information that salaries will not be received before February 15.