SSSBH: Mass engagement of foreign workers can worsen existing problems

(Patria) - The Federation of Independent Trade Unions (SSSBH) is concerned about the signing of a protocol facilitating the engagement of foreign workers at a time when statistical data show an increase in the number of unemployed.

This move, along with government calls for the diaspora to return, raises serious questions about the consistency of policy and government priorities regarding employment and economic development, the SSSBH states.

"The authorities of this country are calling on the diaspora to return and help rebuild BiH, while at the same time signing agreements that allow the mass import of foreign workers.

We believe this is a contradictory approach that confuses citizens and workers, especially considering that the domestic workforce is already struggling to find employment.

Instead of focusing on policies that would create favorable conditions for the return of our people from abroad, the authorities are choosing the easier path - importing labor from other countries.

This approach not only disregards the rights of domestic workers but also calls into question the sincerity of the invitation to the diaspora to return to their homeland.

While the number of unemployed in BiH is growing, the authorities are not recognizing the real problem, with more and more people leaving the country in search of better living conditions. Those who stay face low wages, insecure jobs, and poor working conditions.

Instead of engaging in a serious dialogue about improving employment conditions for domestic workers and the return of our people from the diaspora, the decision to massively engage foreign workers can only worsen the existing problems in the labor market," the SSSBH statement reads.

The union calls on the authorities to create conditions for the return of the diaspora, with concrete measures that encourage investment, employment, and safe work in BiH, rather than sending contradictory messages that will further discourage returnees.

"We call on the authorities to incorporate protection for domestic workers and ensure their priority in the labor market to secure their economic position and contribution to society; invest in the education and training of the domestic workforce so that our people are competitive in the market and have the opportunity to fill jobs that are currently vacant; increase the social security of workers through adequate protection of workers' rights and improvement of working conditions to prevent further migration and reduce the need for foreign workers.

Now is the time to lay the foundation for the long-term development of the labor market, which will be based on the rights and interests of workers, not on quick fixes that can harm society in the long run," the SSSBH stated.