House of Representatives of the FBiH Parliament: Labour Law Adopted

23:45 Labour Law adopted in the Federation of BiH 

50 MPs voted for the Labour Law 

The law was supported by MPs from SDA, HDZ BiH, BPS, SBiH, A-sda, and Our Party. MPs from SBB, DF, SDP, and HDZ 1990 were against it, numbering 35.

22:50 The FBiH Government rejected all 45 amendments to the Draft Labour Law

22:35 The debate on the Draft Labour Law has concluded. 45 amendments have been submitted. MPs are now expecting the Government to declare its position on the amendments.

18:50 Speaking about the new Labour Law, Prime Minister Fadil Novalić stated that the Law is not set in stone, nor is it holy writ, and that it can be amended through regular procedures. Novalić says that the government can no longer afford to postpone anything.

Novalić lashed out at trade unions, stating they lack the courage to make changes.

- The adoption of the Labour Law is proof that reforms envisaged by the Reform Agenda have already begun - added Novalić.

18:47 The President of the Employers' Association of FBiH, Safudin Čengić, believes that the new Labour Law is not ideal, and employers have objections to it, but, as Čengić said, the Law is essentially good and must be adopted.

Čengić stated that the new Labour Law in FBiH was not created by any single individual's will but through negotiations that lasted eight years. 

18:30 The President of the Union of Trade Unions of BiH, Ismet Bajramović, criticizes the Labour Law, stating it undermines workers' rights and leads them to poverty and a slave-like position.

18:15 The House of Representatives supported the information on the reform agenda with not a single vote against. The agenda was previously signed by the FBiH Government, the Government of RS, and the Council of Ministers of BiH.

17:10 The session of the Federal Parliament has continued, and the debate on the Labour Law is underway.

16:47 The agenda for the session has also been adopted, making it increasingly likely that the Labour Law will be adopted in this house of the FBiH Parliament as well.

15:42 The Labour Law will remain on the agenda, as the initiative by SDP, DF, SBB, and HDZ 1990 to remove this item failed. Following the vote, it was also determined that the law would be considered under urgent procedure.

15:27 MPs from DF, SDP, and SBB, with the support of HDZ 1990, requested that the Labour Law be removed from the agenda. The Head of the SBB Club, Nasir Beganović, called on Prime Minister Fadil Novalić to resign.

- Resign for moral reasons because you called the legitimate struggle of the trade unions a miracle of democratic resistance. You have made an unheard-of insult to the just struggle for workers' rights. - Beganović stated.

14:30 The 7th extraordinary session of the House of Representatives of the Parliament of the Federation of BiH has begun in Sarajevo. There are seven items on the agenda, among which the Draft Labour Law, which was the reason for yesterday's protests in Sarajevo, is certainly the most interesting, reports a reporter from the Patria News Agency.

The Draft Labour Law was adopted yesterday by delegates in the House of Peoples of the FBiH Parliament, and today it will be considered by the House of Representatives under urgent procedure. Given that some amendments were adopted, Our Party will also vote for the Law, and we remind you that yesterday they left the session together with SDP, SBB, and DF.

Considering that amendments to the Draft Labour Law of FBiH have been adopted and that there are greater chances for it to pass the House of Representatives of the FBiH Parliament, it should be kept in mind that the text was not harmonized at that time and the House of Peoples of the FBiH Parliament must again declare itself on it for it to enter into force.

The session of the House of Representatives is attended by the leaders of the Union of Trade Unions of BiH, led by Ismet Bajramović, as well as Prime Minister Fadil Novalić and the President of FBiH, Marinko Čavara.

To adopt the Draft Labour Law in the House of Representatives of the Parliament of the Federation of BiH, 50 votes are necessary.