The House of Representatives of the Parliament of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina has passed the Draft Law on Internal Trade, one of the most significant provisions of which mandates that Sundays and holidays must be non-working days for retail workers. The law was passed with 69 votes in favor, two votes against, and 16 abstentions.

This information was confirmed to N1 by MP Admir Cavalic.

It is important to note that the law also needs to be passed by the House of Peoples to come into force.

Additionally, a last-minute amendment proposed by the HDZ allows municipalities and cities to request an exemption from the Federation government regarding the law’s provisions on non-working Sundays.

The law was initiated by the Union of Trade and Service Workers of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and its adoption in the House of Representatives was preceded by an extensive public debate.

Some opposition representatives pointed out concerns among workers regarding Article 18, which defines working hours totaling up to 90 hours per week, from Monday to Saturday.

Supporters of the Law on Internal Trade believe that it will significantly improve working conditions for retail employees, while opponents argue that it will actually worsen working conditions and have negative effects on the economy.

There are also opinions that the introduction of such a law is crucial due to the labor shortage.

Notably, even before this law, some municipalities and cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina had already decided that Sunday should be a non-working day.