# Balkan public sector labor disputes

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/balkan-public-sector-labor-disputes
> Updated: 2026-10-12T07:49:57.000Z. Sources: 16. Developments: 3.

Labor negotiations and disputes regarding public sector wages have emerged in Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

In Montenegro, a tripartite agreement between the government, unions, and employers was reached to increase the salary coefficient from 90 to 100 euros, effective January 1, 2027. However, the Employers’ Union has signaled hesitation regarding further negotiations pending clarification of the government’s “Euro model” for wage increases.

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, tensions have escalated in the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton (HNK). The Unified Union of State Judicial Employees and Workers initiated a strike that has led to a near-total blockade of judicial operations, disrupting court hearings, the drafting of decisions, and the issuance of land registry extracts. The Association of Judges and Prosecutors in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina has expressed support for the action, which seeks dignified salaries and fair compensation.

The dispute centers on the union’s demand for a 20 percent supplement for special working conditions to be applied to all judicial employees without exception. The HNK Government has rejected this, stating that such a supplement can only be granted to specific positions where special working conditions objectively exist. Officials argued that applying the supplement to all employees would lack a legal basis under existing regulations and would effectively act as a general salary increase, creating unequal treatment compared to other civil servants. 

The HNK Government has since urged the judiciary workers' union to end the strike, reiterating that a September 22 decision established that supplements must be tied to specific roles where conditions objectively differ from comparable civil service positions. The government maintains that granting the supplement to all staff would violate the Collective Agreement for officials of administrative and judicial authorities in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

## Timeline

### 2026-10-12: Hercegovina-Neretva Canton urges judiciary union to end strike

The Herzegovina-Neretva Canton government has urged the judiciary workers' union to end its strike, rejecting demands for a universal 20 percent salary supplement for all judicial staff.

4 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/hercegovina-neretva-canton-urges-judiciary-union-to-end-strike

### 2026-10-02: Judicial strike in Herzegovina-Neretva Canton disrupts court operations

A judicial strike in Bosnia and Herzegovina's Herzegovina-Neretva Canton has nearly paralyzed court operations, prompting a dispute between unions demanding better pay and the government over salary supplements

7 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/judicial-strike-in-herzegovina-neretva-canton-disrupts-court-operations

### 2026-09-20: Montenegro and Bosnia labor unions negotiate wage increases

Labor negotiations in Montenegro have seen an agreement to raise the coefficient value to 100 euros by 2027, while judicial unions in Bosnia and Herzegovina continue to dispute wage and status conditions.

10 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/judiciary-union-of-bosnia-and-herzegovina-criticizes-government-promises

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Cite as: Balkan public sector labor disputes. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/balkan-public-sector-labor-disputes