Nezavisne novine: The civil servants and employees in the Government of the FBiH, judicial government and public institutions will in September get into the general strike by demanding the replacement of the whole FBiH Government, if the reduction of public spending does not equally relate to all users of the FBiH budget.
This conclusion has been adopted yesterday by the Union of civil servants and employees in the authorities of civil service, judicial government and public institutions in the FBiH. The Union has by announcing the strike reacted to the decision of the FBiH Government on salaries of nominated and elected officials. According to this decision, salaries of members of the Government and the Parliament of the FBiH from December 2008 have been increased by 1.500 KM, as it is the functional addition, and then reduced by 15%. So, the salary of the chairman of the FBiH will be 3.300 KM, while salaries of his deputies, prime ministers and chairmen of both houses of the Parliament of the FBiH, will be 3.200 KM.
Remunerations for members of commissions
In the time of the recession, Mustafa Mujezinvoić, Prime Minister of the FBiH, has on July 23 signed the conclusion on basis of which the members of the team for determining the model for connecting the pension years, will get paid remunerations for November and December 2008, reduced by 20%, has been said by Salih Kruščica
“By this, they have confirmed that the remunerations for work in commissions have not been abolished. The Government of the FBiH has approved 600.000 KM to Borjana Krišto, chairwoman of the FBiH. She can use this money the way she wants, without any justification. Where are the savings, here?” Kruščica has said.
Deputy prime ministers and deputy chairmen of the both houses of the Parliament will be receiving 3.110 KM per month, ministers 2.950 KM, delegates 2.650 KM, and advisors 2.200 KM. Salaries of all users of the FBiH budget have been earlier returned to the level from December, according to the Law on Savings, and then reduced by 10%, while the reimbursement and food allowance have been cut on half.
Salih Kruščica, chairman of the Union of civil servants and employees of the FBiH, has said yesterday that the decision of the FBiH Government on salaries of the officials, is illegal, and that, according to the Law on Civil Service, price of labor should collectively be agreed by the Government and the Union.
"We have agreed with the Government of the FBiH the annex of joint contract, but we have not signed it. Even without that, our salaries will be reduced by 10%. We will not let that happen. We will go with individual complaints against the Government of the FBiH because of the violation of joint contract. In September, if the FBiH Government does not want to negotiate, we will get into the general strike", Kruščica has said.
He has added that he will request for a meeting with representatives of the Government of the FBiH, whom he will ask to withdraw the decision on salaries of officials and that the Law on Savings becomes equally applied on all the employed. According to estimates of the Union, in six months in 10 cantons, without the reduction of salaries, more than 390 million KM could have been saved on the basis of food allowance, reimbursement, and remunerations to members of commissions and over-worked hours.
"Around 11 million KM could have been saved in six months on food allowance for 10.600 employed, 6.3 million KM on reimbursement, 2.5 million KM on remunerations for members of commissions, and 2 million KM for over-worked hours. By the savings they apply on civil servants and employees, incomes will be reduced by 400 KM or around 30%, but not 10%", Kruščica has said, by adding that the IMF has demanded the reduction of total expenditures by 10%.
"They have reduced to us all of it together, and on the basis of illegal addition for officials, they have increased their own incomes. We are all ready, if necessary, to give up our salaries if it is going to relate to all in the FBiH Government, but not only to civil servants and employees. If this is the way for the FBiH Government to take care of its citizens, then we do not need such government. We will ask for the replacement of it", Kruščica has warned.