KS Government Finds Money for Utility Workers, Strikes Averted but Uncaring About Deceived Youth

By Amra Vrabac

The KS Government today swiftly reached an agreement with the Utility Economy Trade Union on a salary increase of 80 KM for this year, and 100 KM from next year, thus avoiding a strike by several thousand employees in utility economy companies.

The strike was announced precisely for today because previous negotiations on salary increases had failed, and the KS Government was offering 50 KM. In just a few days, the KS Government found the money for an increase of 80 KM.

The relevant minister, Bojan Bošnjak (Our Party), stated that there will be no increase in utility services of public companies despite this increase. It should be recalled that former minister Almir Bečarević (SBiH) had previously discussed increasing the water price. At the first KS Government session after his appointment, Bečarević was presented with a demand from NIP to increase the water price by 70 percent, which he refused at the cost of his resignation. At that session, five million KM were found among the ministries to be paid to VIK for certain losses. A few months ago, an increase in waste collection prices was discussed.

Although it is commendable that the KS Government found money for utility workers, and previously for the education and civil service sectors, thus fulfilling the demands of trade unions and workers, the question remains how there was no money for 1,000 young people who were entitled to subsidies for housing solutions. They were paid 4,800 KM each, although the announcements were between 10,000 and 12,000 KM.

The public call was issued during Bečarević's tenure, who warned Prime Minister Nihad Uk and the KS Government that the allocated 5.5 million KM would not be enough for the promised subsidies.

After taking office, Bošnjak told the youth that there was no more money for them, and by the end of January, the youth received the smallest individual amount since the public call was implemented. Neither the appeals of NIP leader Elmedin Konaković nor the protests in front of the KS Government helped find a solution for the 1,000 young people who committed to staying in Sarajevo Canton for the next five years.

During the discussion in the KS Assembly when the work reports of public companies in the utility sector were being considered, the head of the SDA Club, Mahir Dević, stated that 200 million KM from the Budget are pumped into these companies.

The record holder is KJKP Gras, where there were millions in lawsuits from workers against the company that became due, as well as the settlement of obligations for taxes and contributions for workers retiring.

Although a group of young people addressed the KS Assembly at the last session, no one is negotiating with them. They were promised that part of the funds would be planned for them in the next public call so that they would be paid an additional amount of money. However, such a promise was not given by the KS Government or Minister Bošnjak, but by the president of a political party.

If Bošnjak remains minister, it will be interesting to see if this promise is fulfilled.

However, in the adopted KS Budget for this year, 500,000 KM are planned for this purpose, and Bošnjak announces some other subsidies, but not those for housing solutions...