Trade Union Dissatisfied with Minimum Wage: We are Ashamed of the Behavior of the Independent Union of BiH and the ESC

(Patria) - The president of the Trade and Services Union of BiH, Mersiha Beširović, commented on the agreement reached yesterday at the session of the Economic and Social Council regarding the increase of the minimum wage in the BiH entity of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The increase would amount to 27 KM.

"Dozens of messages from workers are coming into the Union's inbox, as well as my private one. I am trying to respond to all of them, although it is not easy because we in STBiH are also 'speechless'. The only word that describes today's entire story about the minimum wage increase is SHAME. And I am truly ashamed, even though I do not sit on the ESC. We are ashamed, even though we are not part of SSBiH. We are ashamed of the performance of the union delegation in this body, even though they did not ask for our opinion and even though we expected this humiliation and announced it on our networks earlier. But I am ashamed because I am part of the union and because I represent a union that has responsibility towards its members and towards the workers. Because when you ask for an increase of 20+% and accept 3%, you are either a traitor or ignorant. And in any case, you are absolutely incompetent," Beširević stated.

After the session of the Economic and Social Council (ESC) of FBiH, it became clear that workers receiving the minimum wage cannot expect drastic increases in the coming year. The unions said they accept the agreement, and employers said they are satisfied. Citizens said: "They raise their own salaries, prices are rising, and we are supposed to rejoice over 30 KM - it's unserious."