Nezavisne novine: Because of the disagreed legal regulation and the introduction of the property census, the interns in the FBiH no longer have the right on health care protection. During 2008. from the evidence of unemployed of the cantonal employment services, more than 1.000 persons have got the intern job. Even though they have been in a work relation, because of the Law on Mediation in Employment of the FBiH, from the end of last year these persons do not have a right on health care protection.
Vahid Muharemović, director of the Institute for Employment of the canton Sarajevo, says that last year 633 intern contracts have been signed.
"It was common earlier that the interns have a health care protection through the cantonal employment. It has been defined by the Law on Work of the FBiH. The employer was paying for the intern only in case of an injury or professional disease. By the Law on Mediation in Employment of the FBiH, the interns cannot achieve a health care protection through the services either", Muharemović has said.
He explains that by the introduction of property census all the persons, whose monthly incomes exceed 165 KM, do not have a right on health care protection through the employment services.
"Monthly incomes of each intern exceed the sum of 165 KM. That way, they are not the ones to blame for losing their right on health care protection. Because of the collision of these laws, we have been asking twice for an explanation from the Ministry for Work and Social Policy of the FBiH. Both times we have received different interpretations", Muharemović has said
Miralem Šarić, director of the Institute for Employment of the FBiH, says that the institute will through the cantonal employment services sign with the interns a contract annex on regulation of health care protection until the final solution of this problem.
"If nobody wants to help them, we will do it. Or, we will pay a health care protection for them", Šarić has commented.
Last year, the Institute for Employment of the FBiH has ensured around two million KM for hiring of several hundreds of interns.
In the Employment service of the Srednjo-bosanski canton, they say that from September 1st until December 31st last year, 68 interns have got a job from the evidence of the employed.
"By now, we have been paying a health care protection. Only God knows how it will be from now and what will happen with these people. It is weird that we are trying to reduce the number of unemployed, but at the same time we are refuting the elementary rights to them", has been said in the SBC.
In the Ministry for Work and Social Policy of the FBiH, they say that all the interns will again be returned to the evidence of cantonal employment services, which will be paying the health care protection for them.