Bosnia and Herzegovina teachers and health workers threaten strikes over unpaid salary promises

In the Una‑Sana Canton, the Union of Secondary and Higher Education, Culture and Sport (SSVOONK) says the cantonal government failed to implement a previously agreed salary‑base increase for teachers. The union warns that without an urgent agreement, it will resort to protests, strikes and possibly halt the start of the 2026/27 school year. It also cites unequal pay, outdated promotion rules and concerns about staff redundancies, and has asked cantonal premier Mustafa Ružnić to schedule negotiations within seven days.

In the Herzegovina‑Neretva County, the Auxiliary Health Workers Union argues that the election year cannot be used as a legal excuse to block talks on amending the existing collective agreement. After the Federation government raised the minimum wage, the union says salary coefficients have become distorted and seeks a 3 % wage increase. The union stresses that the collective agreement itself allows for renegotiation and that “Izborna godina ne može biti pravni razlog za odbijanje pregovora.” Both unions are calling for immediate dialogue to avoid industrial action that could disrupt education and health services.

These disputes reflect growing unrest among public‑sector workers in Bosnia and Herzegovina over unmet wage promises and perceived governmental inaction.