HIGH SCHOOL EMPLOYEES TO LAUNCH GENERAL STRIKE ON NOVEMBER 9

SARAJEVO, OCTOBER 31 /SRNA/ - Employees in high schools in Una-Sana Canton will launch a general strike on Monday, November 9, following unsuccessful negotiations between the Trade Union of Secondary and Higher Education, Upbringing, Science and Culture and the cantonal government.

Several months of negotiations between the union and the cantonal government, as well as the conciliation process, failed to produce an agreement on meeting the union's demands.

Union President Samir Fajić said that all legal requirements for organizing the strike had been met after the conciliation process ended without an agreement.

Fajić recalled that the union had earlier postponed the strike, which had been announced for October 2, to allow the legally prescribed conciliation process to take place following the appointment of a conciliation board on September 30.

"We have completed the conciliation process and, unfortunately, no final agreement has been reached, meaning that our demands have not been met. Therefore, the conditions have been met for organizing the strike again," Fajić said.

He identified the adoption of new pedagogical standards for secondary education and the repeal of the existing Rulebook on Employee Evaluation and Advancement, along with the adoption of a new document to be agreed upon by the union and the relevant ministry, as the key contentious issues, federal media reported.

Member of the negotiating team Minela Hajrulahović stressed that the union would not give up its demands concerning the position of all employees in secondary education, including secretaries, accountants, teaching assistants and support staff.

Another member of the negotiating team, Asmir Piralić, said they viewed the strike as a last resort in the fight to secure social and economic rights. He called on the government and the relevant ministry to continue negotiations until November 9 in order to find a solution and avoid a shutdown of high schools.