FBiH Employers' Association and unions against electricity price hike for businesses and wage cuts

SARAJevo, (Patria) - The leaderships of the Employers' Association of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and seven branch unions from the real sector have expressed concern over the announced enormous increase in electricity prices for businesses, which will lead to a decrease in economic activity, job losses, and endanger the living standards of workers and citizens. A request was sent from a joint meeting to the FBiH Government to react in accordance with its legal powers and not allow an enormous increase in electricity prices, thereby preventing layoffs and the collapse of the economy.

A joint conclusion was reached at the meeting that it is necessary to significantly reduce the burden of labor costs by adopting a new law on contributions in FBiH, which would set the contribution rate on wages at a maximum of 30 percent, thereby creating conditions for an additional increase in the minimum wage agreed upon by employers and unions through collective agreements.

The leaderships of the UPFBiH and seven unions from the real sector have also sent a request to the FBiH Government for an urgent session of the Economic and Social Council for the Territory of the Federation of BiH on the topic of the minimum wage in FBiH. Namely, for unknown reasons, representatives of the FBiH Government have already postponed the session of the ESC for the Territory of FBiH twice.

It was agreed at the meeting that negotiations on signing collective agreements between the UPFBiH and branch unions that have not yet been negotiated and signed will continue.