# Mostar utility dismissals, hiring and political fallout > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/mostar-municipal-utility-bosniak-dismissals > Updated: 2026-08-25T16:12:53.000Z. Sources: 32. Developments: 7. In July 2026, the municipal utility JP Komunalno terminated the contracts of 22 Bosniak field workers. Mayor Mario Kordić and city council president Danijel Rahimić maintained the dismissals were based on work-related breaches rather than ethnicity, while the Trade Union of Communal Workers of the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton alleged ethnic discrimination and procedural irregularities. Political tension escalated as Bakir Izetbegović, President of the Party of Democratic Action (SDA), met with the dismissed workers, pledging to use all legal means to protect their rights. Amidst the dispute, JP Komunalno launched a recruitment drive for 14 positions. Mayor Kordić announced individual meetings with the 22 dismissed employees to examine each case separately, stating, “svaka osoba će biti saslušana, a svaki će slučaj biti razmatran pojedinačno” (every person will be heard, and each case will be considered individually). By August 11, the JP Komunalno Supervisory Board decided to reinstate a portion of the dismissed workers. Kordić welcomed the move as a step toward stabilizing company relations, noting that several employees had provided written statements alleging they were coerced into signing documents refusing work orders. He called for a thorough investigation into these allegations of pressure and coercion. By late August, a group of dismissed workers began demanding reinstatement, alleging that the Supervisory Board failed to respond to their legal appeals by the August 24 deadline. The workers criticized the board’s president, Ivana Marić, citing her concurrent roles in the Mostar City Economy Service and the municipal administration employees’ union. They also noted that the board members' mandates had expired, prompting them to seek legal recourse through the courts. ## Claims - The truth must be above politics and the interests of individuals. (corroborated by 3 sources) - The Supervisory Board decided to return a portion of the previously dismissed workers to their jobs. (corroborated by 3 sources) - Dismissals were issued due to refusal of work tasks and obstruction of work. (corroborated by 3 sources) - The dismissals were illegal and resulted from pressure and the fight for workers' rights. (corroborated by 3 sources) - The Mayor called for an investigation into allegations of pressure and coercion against workers. (corroborated by 3 sources) ## Timeline ### 2026-08-25: JP Komunalno Mostar workers demand reinstatement after dismissal dispute Dismissed workers from JP Komunalno Mostar are demanding reinstatement, alleging the Supervisory Board ignored legal appeals and labor inspection findings regarding their terminations. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/jp-komunalno-mostar-workers-demand-reinstatement-after-dismissal-dispute ### 2026-08-11: Mostar Mayor welcomes reinstatement of dismissed JP Komunalno workers Mostar Mayor Mario Kordić has welcomed the decision to reinstate dismissed workers at JP Komunalno, calling for investigations into allegations of political pressure and coercion within the utility company. 7 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/mostar-mayor-welcomes-reinstatement-of-dismissed-jp-komunalno-workers ### 2026-08-04: Mostar mayor Mario Kordić addresses JP Komunalno dismissals Mostar mayor Mario Kordić says each of the 22 dismissed JP Komunalno workers will be heard individually, while city officials defend the terminations as lawful and performance‑based. 5 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/mostar-municipal-utility-jp-komunalno-dismisses-22-workers-amid-political-pressure ### 2026-08-01: Komunalno Mostar hires 14 workers after 22 dismissals Komunalno Mostar is recruiting 14 staff for permanent and temporary roles after firing 22 employees; applications close 14 Aug 2026. 5 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/komunalno-mostar-hires-14-workers-after-22-dismissals ### 2026-07-29: Bakir Izetbegović backs dismissed Komunalno Mostar workers Bakir Izetbegović met dismissed Komunalno Mostar workers, urging authorities to review illegal terminations, reinstate staff and protect inter‑ethnic relations in Mostar. 3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/bakir-izetbegovi-backs-dismissed-komunalno-mostar-workers ### 2026-07-27: Mostar's JP Komunalno fires 22 Bosniak workers, union seeks reversal Union of Mostar communal workers demands reversal of dismissals of 22 Bosniak staff from JP Komunalno, citing procedural flaws and ethnic discrimination; protests are planned. 6 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/mostars-jp-komunalno-fires-22-bosniak-workers-union-seeks-reversal ### 2026-07-22: Mostar JP Komunalno dismisses 18 Bosniak workers, prompting inspection Mostar’s JP Komunalno dismissed 18 Bosniak workers, leading the mayor to deny politicisation, SDA leaders to allege ethnic replacement, and a federal minister to order a labour‑law inspection. 14 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/dubrovnik-council-debates-new-general-urban-plan-amid-investor-pressure --- Cite as: Mostar utility dismissals, hiring and political fallout. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/mostar-municipal-utility-bosniak-dismissals