Director Bandić: Employment Service of Slovenia and Slovenian Labour Inspectorate involved in protection of rights of workers from BiH



A delegation of the Labour and Employment Agency of BiH, led by Director Muamer Bandić, is visiting Slovenia this week in order to monitor the implementation of the Agreement on Employment of the Citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Republic of Slovenia after having learned of sporadic cases of violation of the rights of workers from BiH by employers in Slovenia.  On this occasion, the delegation of the Labour and Employment Agency of BiH visited employers in Slovenia to get an insight into working conditions of our workers and met with representatives of the Independent Trade Union of the Republic of Slovenia, the Employment Service of the Republic of Slovenia and the Labour Inspectorate of the Republic of Slovenia.

“As we have recently received a small number of complaints from our workers about their employers in Slovenia, we have decided to take another look at the working conditions of our workers in Slovenia and make the responsible Slovenian institutions aware or these complaints.  During our visit to Slovenia, a small number of workers complained that some employers were undermining workers’ rights. Having received the confirmation of these allegations by the Independent Trade Union of the Republic of Slovenia, we held a meeting with the employers to discuss the possibilities of improving the implementation of the Employment Agreement and the protection of workers’ rights, which is our priority.  We are aware that there is a great demand for workers from BiH, but that demand may not affect workers’ rights that must be at the level guaranteed by the international legal standards.  It makes me happy to see that the employers share our view after the meeting held with them and that the majority of employers strive to respect all elements of the Employment Agreement”, said Director Bandić.

After the meeting held with the colleagues from the Employment Service of the Republic of Slovenia and having exchanged our experiences regarding the job placement procedure of our workers in the Republic of Slovenia, it was agreed to organise another meeting which will be attended by the representatives of the Labour Inspectorate of the Republic of Slovenia.

“We have informed the representatives of the Labour Inspectorate of the Republic of Slovenia of the problems we have encountered during our visits to workers and it was agreed in the meeting that the Labour and Employment Agency of BiH will draft an act specifying the problems encountered by our workers working in Slovenia and the companies that undermine workers’ rights. This act will be submitted to the interstate Commission for the monitoring of the implementation of the Employment Agreement, the Employment Service of the Republic of Slovenia and, via the Service, to the Labour Inspectorate of the Republic of Slovenia that will have the obligation to make field visits and protect workers’ rights.  I am pleased that the institutions of the Republic of Slovenia are very serious in addressing the identified difficulties and I believe that these few cases of violation of workers’ rights will soon be history.  We want the workers from BiH to be aware that the institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina are there to support them and that we will not allow the violation of the Agreement to the detriment of our workers”, said Director Bandić. 

According to the data of the Employment Service of the Republic of Slovenia, from the beginning of the year until end of October a total of 13 198 work permits were issued in the Republic of Slovenia to workers from BiH.