In the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, changes to the Law on Health Insurance were announced with the aim of reducing abuse of sick leave and fairer distribution of costs that are currently mostly borne by employers.
This topic was discussed at the session of the Economic and Social Council of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, where representatives of the Government, trade unions and employers expressed their agreement that it is necessary to improve the existing system and prevent irregularities that have burdened the economy for years.
President of the FBiH Economic and Social Council Safudin Čengić pointed out that the aim of the changes is not to deny rights to workers who really need sick leave, but to reduce abuses that create additional costs and problems in the organization of work.
According to him, the planned changes will not abolish the right of workers to 42 days of sick leave, but they could change the method of financing that period so that the cost is not solely borne by employers, they write Business newspaper.
Čengić believes that a more efficient sick leave control system could contribute to greater responsibility and open up space for increased income for workers who regularly and correctly fulfill their obligations.
The session also discussed the new general collective agreement, and ESV says that there is a readiness of all social partners for its adoption. The trade union particularly emphasized the need for the new collective agreement to include workers employed in the private sector.
The announced changes to the law come at a time when employers have been warning for a long time about rising costs due to long-term sick leave and possible abuse of the system, while unions insist that all the rights of workers who really need health care be preserved.
