The Independent Union of Railway Workers in BiH, the Union of Railway Workers in FBiH and the Independent Union of Executive Personnel in the Infrastructure Area sent requests to several addresses in the Federation of BiH.
The requests were sent after the union meeting, and they were addressed to the FBiH Parliament and Government, the FBiH Ministry of Transport and Communications, and the Supervisory Board and Management of JP Railways FBiH.
They point out that, if their demands are not met in the next 10 days, they will schedule workers’ protests and go on a general strike.
The union of railway workers stated that, within the budget for 2026, they are asking the federal authorities to increase the item for the maintenance of the railway infrastructure from 24 to 62 million KM, and as they say, it was requested in the reasoned proposal of the Management of JP ŽFBiH Sarajevo, which was submitted to the Federal Ministry of Transport and Communications.
– Namely, it is impossible with the amount (approx. 20 million KM) that was allocated in the budget to the Railways of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the last 20 years, to maintain the railway infrastructure in 2026 as well, because with insufficient funds, the safety of railway traffic, as well as the transportation of passengers and goods as well as workers on the tracks in the territory of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, is at risk.
They are also looking for the conclusion of a new collective agreement because the previous one expired at the end of last year.
– We ask the Government of FBiH and the relevant Ministry to form a negotiation team within 10 days from the date of receipt of the request at the latest, which will lead negotiations with representatives of representative unions on the conclusion of a new branch contract of railway workers in FBiH, because the previous collective agreement expired on December 31, 2025, and the material position of workers in JP ŽFBiH Sarajevo has never been more difficult and worse – almost 80 percent of JP ŽFBiH workers receive a salary that is slightly above the federal minimum wage from 1,027 KM – according to the trade union
They also had several requests for the Supervisory Board and Management of JP Željeznica FBiH, namely that:
– ensure the safe development of railway traffic in accordance with the legal and by-laws, which treat railway traffic in the territory of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, because it is threatened by inadequate investment in the maintenance of railway infrastructure.
– that, in accordance with legal and other regulations, the workers are immediately provided with official and protective clothing and footwear, which they did not receive, and the terms of which were previously granted expired two years ago.
– that the workers are provided with adequate working conditions and means of work, because the workers are currently working in impossible conditions in summer and winter in order to maintain traffic on the railways in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
They asked the authorities to act urgently and fulfill the demands, otherwise they will schedule and organize workers’ protests from January 19, and start the procedure in accordance with the legal regulations for scheduling a general strike of JP ŽFBiH doo Sarajevo, because, as they stated, “the current situation is impossible to work and the safety of transporting passengers and goods is absolutely threatened, while the labor and material status has never been worse”, reports Factor.
