Bosnians stage protest against ٍEU-recommended labor law
Thousands of Bosnian workers have rallied against a controversial labor law, which has been imposed on authorities as part of reforms to bring the country a step closer to integration into the European Union.
Over 5,000 workers took part in Thursday’s event outside the parliament building in the capital city of Sarajevo, where lawmakers adopted the law.
The participants in the protest, which was organized by the Federation of Independent Trade Unions, said the law ignores their rights.
Holding banners and blowing whistles, the demonstrators called for the parliamentary session to be delayed until trade unions are involved in the contentious bill’s drafting process. However, the lawmakers voted in favor of the law.
The government proposed the draft legislation as part of efforts to move the Balkan Peninsula state a step closer to the EU membership.
Back in June, the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) between the EU and Bosnia entered into force, putting the country on track for the eventual membership of the 28-member bloc.
Bosnia’s current labor law offers wide protection to workers. However, the government and the EU argue that the legislation is not business-friendly and blame it in part for the country’s jobless crisis.
The unemployment rate hovers around 44.3 percent in the southeastern European state with a population of over 3.8 million people.
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