The Union of Trade Unions of Police Authorities in BiH sent an urgent letter to the clubs of representatives of the House of Representatives of the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH regarding the consideration of the Bill on Amendments to the Law on Police Officers of BiH at the session scheduled for January 22.
The bill on amendments to the Law on Police Officers of Bosnia and Herzegovina was proposed by MPs Nihad Omerović (NiP), Jasmin Imamović (SDP) and Predrag Kojović (NS).
The alliance, which includes the Border Police Union, the SIPA Union and the DKPT Union, cites the views expressed earlier and especially points out that such a proposal carries with it numerous risks for the state’s police system.
In the letter of the Trade Union, it is emphasized that the adoption of the law, which enables the extension of the working life of police officers employed in the police bodies of BiH until they have completed 40 years of insurance, would be approved only for police officers, and not for other employees and managers of police bodies, “if this is not in the interest of the police body”.
The trade union points out that this approach is discriminatory and that it hides numerous dangers that the general public does not notice.
They believe that the current Law on Police Officers of Bosnia and Herzegovina is a systemic regulation at the state level and that any change affects all police officers and the security system. According to the union, the proposed changes call into question the principles of equality and legal security of officers, and at the same time ignore the need to rejuvenate the police force.
The Federation of Trade Unions of Police Bodies in BiH emphasizes that for years it has been warning about the poor position of police officers, including inadequate working conditions, overload and lack of staff, and believes that it is necessary to systematically solve the status of the police while respecting the principles of fairness and efficiency.
In this context, the trade union warns that the proposal that is on the agenda does not solve key problems, but opens up space for new inequalities and legal uncertainty.
They further believe that the possible adoption of amendments to the law could have long-term negative consequences for the organization of the police, personnel planning and budget allocations.
The trade union therefore appeals to the deputies to carefully consider all arguments, taking into account the previously submitted analyzes and warnings, and in the interest of police officers and the safety of the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina, to reject such a bill and approach the development of a comprehensive solution for the status of police officers.
The union of the State Agency for Investigation and Protection warned again that the proposal to amend the law relating to police officers in Bosnia and Herzegovina will lead to discrimination against police officers and prevent their advancement, which further undermines the position of employees in police agencies.
The trade union points out that the proposed changes to the law, especially those related to the way of promotion and job allocation, will create additional gaps and divisions within the system and demotivate young and promising police officers.
They state that it is envisaged that the amended provisions will be applied in terms of personnel structure so that up to 80% of the posts will be allocated to police officers in the rank of constable to senior inspector, while 20% would be reserved for the independent and chief inspector categories.
According to the union, this arrangement is not clearly explained nor is it defined on the basis of which indicators these provisions were proposed in the first place, and at the same time the principle of equal treatment of all police officers is ignored. They consider it particularly problematic that no distinction is made between those who work on operational tasks in the field and those who perform other duties within the institution.
The Trade Union of the State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA) recalls that it previously conducted a survey among its members and that the majority of participants were against such legal solutions.
Out of a total of 379 members who voted (via Viber and FB), 369 were against, while only 10 members supported the amendments to the law. They also point out that they follow the official position of the Agency, published on the official website on 12/19/2025. have already indicated to the authorities, because they believe that termination of employment based on retirement and other issues regulated by law will negatively affect the functioning of the Agency.
The statement states that the Agency did not consult the representative trade union when submitting its opinion on the proposed legal solutions, but instead released incomplete and inaccurate information to the public that does not reflect the views of the majority of employees. The trade union believes that this approach leads to the violation of the rights of employees and creates legal uncertainty, because it is possible to remain in the employment relationship solely at the will of the employer, without clear and objective criteria.
In particular, they warn that the proposed changes prevent the admission of new police officers to the Agency, given that jobs are not being freed, which, according to their statements, will have long-term negative consequences on the functioning and efficiency of work. They state that at the meetings with the competent institutions, they repeatedly pointed out the need for changes in the law to be in line with the union’s views and to respect the provisions of the collective agreement and previously signed agreements.
The trade union notes that the proposed solutions are in contradiction with certain articles of the Law on Labor in the Institutions of BiH and the collective agreement, which clearly define the obligation to consult with representative trade unions when changing regulations that affect the rights of employees. They believe that ignoring this obligation has led to a situation in which the proposed changes violate the degree of protection of the rights of police officers.
In the text of the announcement, they also cite examples from other laws that regulate the status of police officers, including provisions on the appointment and dismissal of managers, the duration of the mandate and the possibility of re-appointment. They point out that similar provisions are applied in the Law on SIPA and the Law on DKPT, which is why they believe that the proposed changes create legal inconsistency within the system of security agencies.
The trade union therefore calls on the competent institutions to withdraw the proposed amendments to the law and, in cooperation with the trade union representatives, to draft new solutions that will be harmonized with the current laws and collective agreements. They also request that the entire police structure in BiH be taken into account and that the conditions for promotion, appointment, dismissal and termination of employment of police officers be clearly defined, in order to ensure legal certainty and equal treatment of all employees.
The Union of Trade Unions of Police Authorities in BiH sent the Independent Board and state institutions the position that the House of Representatives of the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH should reject the proposed amendments to the Law on Police Officers and initiate the drafting of a new legal solution.
The document of the Association of Unions of Police Bodies in BiH describes in detail the role and responsibilities of the Independent Board, including the implementation of the process of selecting candidates and proposing the replacement of police managers and their deputies, publishing public tenders and reviewing candidate applications, and submitting the list of the most successful candidates to the competent institutions. The independent board also has the task of considering complaints about the work of the heads of police bodies of BiH, initiates disciplinary proceedings against the heads and deputy heads, and informs the Ministry of Security of BiH and the Council of Ministers of BiH about its findings.
In the statement, it is stated that the Federation of Trade Unions of Police Bodies in BiH does not have a positive opinion on the draft amendments to the Law on Police Officers of BiH because it believes that this proposal does not resolve the essential issues of the position of police officers. It is emphasized that during the process of harmonizing regulations with EU standards, as well as regarding the protection of the status of police officers, a systemic solution is needed that would include all aspects of the labor law position of police officers.
The trade union believes that the consequences of the proposed changes should be clearly considered as part of the discussion in state institutions, and especially as part of the agenda of the session of the House of Representatives of the BiH Parliamentary Assembly. It is concluded that, taking into account such a proposal, the best way is for the House of Representatives to completely reject the proposed amendments to the Law, and for the competent institutions, in accordance with their powers, to launch an initiative for the adoption of a new Law that would systematically and legally solve all the key issues of police officers, writes Klix.
