Zenicatrans workers' hunger strike frozen

ZENICA, (Patria) - About twenty workers of JKP Zenicatrans-prevoz putnika, who have been on a hunger strike in the Zenica Bus Station hall for the past five days, have "frozen" their strike after today's meeting with city councilors and their assurances that they will advocate for the salvation of their company at the City Council sessions.

The blockade of the station remains in effect until January 16 and the session of the City Council of that city, where the budget for 2020 should be adopted, as well as an amendment allocating two million KM for the support of Zenicatrans' operations, writes Zenicablog.com.

"If we get a signal from the City Administration and the mayor, all city public transport lines will be launched in half an hour. We have the will, we have the desire, and we just need a little support," said Union President Huso Sarvan, who emphasized that he is glad they have "received positive signals" and that his colleagues can stop striking and harming their health.

The people, as he stated, stood behind the decision of the Union and all the decisions they made in the past few days, starting with the blockade of the station which they began on December 31 last year, and they have "frozen the hunger strike" until the GV session.

Chairwoman of the City Council Diana Bešić, when asked by the representative of the striking workers Hazrudin Bilić what to do if Mayor Fuad Kasumović withdraws the 2020 budget from the agenda again, said that she would not prejudge anything at this time.

"We will support everything that is in the interest of this company and the workers of Zenicatrans, as we have shown so far. We have been doing that," said Bešić.

Member of the Working Presidency of the Zenica City Council Emina Tufekčić emphasized that they will certainly have the necessary "16 votes" to pass the budget, and announced that they will now also prepare a joint amendment to secure funds for the salvation of Zenicatrans.

Councilors from SDA, A-SDA, SBB, and DF attended today's meeting at Zenicatrans, and they have enough councilors to "incorporate" an amendment into the budget that will support the recovery of Zenicatrans.