Union of Autonomous Trade Unions of BiH (SSSBiH) believes that the time to mark the Labour Day in BiH with protest gatherings has come, but that this can only happen with gradual and hard work on raising awareness among workers and increasing the number of trade union members, which will strengthen the trade union movement, but also create a sufficient critical mass of workers who are willing to spend the 1st of May on protests, rather than with a traditional barbecue.
From this organization stated that, when it comes to the current way of celebrating the Labor Day that has been established in the former Yugoslavia, it is necessary to have in mind the fact that at that time ruled socialism, workers’ self-management, that the workers had ensured all workers, social and human rights, and that they did not even know how that day was marked by their counterparts in Western Europe, Turkey and other countries.
They emphasize that, with socialism and ending of the aggression on BiH, workers met with wild capitalism and un-transparent privatization, and that there came to a complete disappearance of large business groups that were employing the largest number of workers, and smaller companies came, which employ a much smaller number of workers, and naturally it came to a reduction of the amount of union membership.
From SSSBiH state that they are using marking of the 1st of May 1, primarily, to warn their members on all possible problems and difficulties they will encounter, to be ready and prevent negative development of the situation.
(Source: klix.ba)