The 24 trade unions in BiH Federation reached a consensus, at the meeting of the Organizing Committee for preparation of union protests scheduled for July 13, in front of the Federal Government, that the so-called Emergency Law should be pulled out of the parliamentary adoption procedure.

Rifat Mahmutović, President of the Communal Economy Trade Union, said that that was the only way for the trade unions to protect their members. The Unions find it unacceptable for such a law to be adopted without prior dialogue and comment that the Law could be accepted only if it doesn’t conflict with the elementary principles of labour legislation.

"The Government sold out the trade unions for a fistful of dollars, suspended all collective bargain agreements, the labour legislation and international treaties ratified by Bosnia and Herzegovina”, Mahmutović said, adding that the trade unions will use all available instruments to fight the law, including a general strike if the protests, expected to gather around 15,000 union members, fail.

He said that the trade unions were not satisfied with the agreement offered by new PM Mustafa Mujezinović and the Federal Government.

"That agreement will not supersede the Law. In fact, the Law will be superseded to any agreement, and we intend to prove that that is not the case”, Mahmutović said.

The Trade Unions appointed their negotiating team. The Unions noted they are prepared to come to any talks that aim to provide a compromise, insisting only that they get back their main tools, the collective agreements and labour legislation.