"Workers in the Bosnia's Federation (FBiH) entity do not deserve to be the lowest-paid workers in Europe," said members of the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of BiH, who are protesting in Sarajevo on Thursday.

“Armed” with banners and whistles, they began a protest march from the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, from where they went towards the FBiH Parliament building and the FBiH Government building.

They have five requirements that you can read here.

“Our children are leaving BiH, they don't want to work for 500 Bosnian marks (approx. €250). When everyone leaves, they (politicians and employers) will not be able to buy new yachts, villas and companies in criminal privatization. No one will silence us. We are not unions tailored to the employer, you cannot buy us,” Selvedin Satorovic, the Trade Union Federation President said.

Zuhdija Kapetanovic, the head of the ArcelorMittal Trade Union, said that they did not come to Sarajevo to admire the architecture of the city, but to express the dissatisfaction of work in front of the Association of Employers and the FBiH Government.

“In this building (Association of Employers of FBiH), plans are being made on how to make workers in FBiH slaves of the 21st century. More precisely, they would like to introduce a slave ownership system. In order for these plans to be realized, it was necessary to establish a new union of independent trade unions in BiH. And to declare this trade union, which has existed for 116 years, illegal and thus realize its plans with suitable trade unionists. This Union is now even stronger and we are not giving up on our demands. The president of the Association of Employers says that it is not realistic for the minimum wage to be 1,000 Bosnian marks. You don't say? They say that employers will lay off workers, that they will have to close companies, etc. Our message is to close the companies and have them transferred to Germany and find workers there to work for them for €250. Why should our youth go? Let those employers who are not able to adequately pay the workers leave the country,” said Kapetanovic.

He said that “many employers got rich at the expense of our workers” so that today Bosnia has 600 millionaires and 100 multimillionaires.

Coming in front of the FBiH Government building, the protestors asked the FBiH Prime Minister Fadil Novalic if he felt shame giving employees the salary of 400 Bosnian marks or some €200 (the lowest salary in the FBiH is 420 Bosnian marks), if he felt any shame for his fellow citizens having to go to Serbia to get vaccinated and in the end, they told him to leave the office.

They say they will remain persistent in their demands.

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