Commerce Trade Union of BIH has lost its patience

Ever since the end of the war,  CTUBiH has been facing constant invasions on membership by PPDIVUT which, depending on its field of interests, widens that field by simply adding new letters to its acronym. We did not pay much attention to those threats and we understood them as an additional motivation and challenge to become even better. We have organized and represented our members in a way we were taught by our colleagues from the democratic unions in Europe- in a mind-opened way, based on a voluntary choice and services and activities we are able to provide our members with. For more than ten years now, thanks to an ample support of our colleague unions form Europe, we have been in power to maintain the promised quality of services and activities.

However, the method used by PPDIVUT can by no means be characterized as fair competition for members. To constant pressures we have been reacting by means of dialogue and sometimes even following the line of least resistance, exactly because the only priority we have always had was to keep our members at their working places.

After a successfully conducted campaign of organizing, and cooperation with the managements of the companies MIMS and MERCUR, we were courageous enough to publicly speak out to protect our members’ rights; when the owners of these companies were accused of illegal privatization in 2004; we were literally forced to give up the fight for members in these companies. Exactly because we have always been placing our members` first and protecteing their jobs at any cost, we have advised them to bow to the pressure of the owners, leave TUBiH  and join PPDIVUT when the SSSBiH initiated the revision of privatization, and PPDIVUT withdrew from it. We lost a significant number of members, we lost the battle and pride, but we gained our members` respect and gratitude because we put our personal success at stake for the sake of their salaries and security.

There are numerous alike examples. Out of several similar situations, CTUBiH came out as a winner, mostly when in question were great numbers of workers deprived of their rights or impoverished TU locals where the membership fees income was minimal or none. The company TM Markets Sarajevo ended as a member of CTUBiH after years of “adventures” through which PPDIVUT had been leading this company to its final end. After joining CTUBIH, it became a new privatized company where every employee was paid all benefits and late salaries. In UNIVERZAL PROMET Tuzla company the employees had courage and strength to resist the pressures and defend their trust in CTUBIH. Membership fees and numbers were never our motive. We rate our successes by shaking hands with our members all around in the streets, even if sometimes they are our ex members. We worked according to a motto “time will show who is better” and waited for the situation in BiH to change in favor of justice and democracy. We have been working devotedly with a single goal in our minds: to please our members, hoping it will be a decisive factor in our battle.

However, it is difficult to defy a dishonest and unscrupulous enemy.

CTUBiH has been trying to gain supporters in this battle but it seems that there is something in BH mentality that people do not mind a problem until they actually experience it directly and personally. That is why PPDIVUT publicly defiles the union movement in BiH despite the fact it withdrew from it long time ago and still makes use of the benefits granted by it.

Now it is definitely ENOUGH!

After more than a year of constant efforts to organize in the (then called) VF commerce company, CTUBiH had finally managed to gain trust of the workers there. In a year’s time, we had managed to visit all stores for a couple of times, organize meetings in all shifts, present our ideas, plans and activities. Our application forms reached every cashier, every maintenance worker, all offices and all stores. Simultaneously, we had organized numerous meetings with the management in order to assure them of our goal to act as a partner and contribute to the development and growth of the company. Finally, after one year, we managed to finalize the process of gaining new members which coincided with transfer of VF commerce to KONZUM. When it became obvious and certain that the only path this company will follow in the future was the one of prosperity, the history repeats. Now in even more unscrupulous manner.

At a meeting in Tešanj on May 30, when CTUBiH gathered all its representatives from all stores in BiH, a fear from “the pressure from the powerful” to change membership was expressed clearly. The letters with the resolutions on changes in membership, signed by who else than the manager (luckily, now an ex manager), already circulate in the company. The members` cards with social security numbers are issued without the consent of workers. The representatives of the management from BiH, according to Mr. Jovanović who is a manager of Tuzla region, are conformable to accept the workers wishes but the fear the workers feel is by all means excused because the scenario according to which PPDIVUT has been working so far, gives enough reasons for fear.

Mr. Todorović, the owner of the company from Zagreb, remains silent to all the inquiries from CTUBiH and according to the latest information which CTUBiH received, Mehmed Avdagić, the president of PPDIVUT departed urgently to Zagreb today. At the same time, some of the highly-positioned leaders in CTUBiH are openly being threatened to through phone calls and SMS – that if STBiH does not withdraw from KONZUM their lives and security will be endangered.

The time for someone to finally say ENOUGH in this country is finally come. It is ENOUGH of the pressures and blackmailing! ENOUGH of corruption and criminal! ENOUGH of autocracy of several powerful ones who take it as their right to create men` s lives and destinies.

This is “To be or not to be” for CTUBiH. Perhaps we will not be able to keep our members in KONZUM exactly because CTUBiH will not do anything to compromise status of any of our members. Our victory is worth nothing if it costs a member losing his/her job. The salary that a number of people are fed on is sacred to us.

However, it is certain that CTUBiH will not give up on KONZUM!

We have been waiting long ENOUGH for the times of general anarchy to end so we could start working and living decently. CTUBiH will alert all home and international institutions and organizations for human rights protection in order to grant one of its basic rights- freedom of organizing. We will invite all public media and finally open that black book where we have all the arguments and proofs about PPDIVUT` s activities. We are inviting all our members to support us in out strives to protect and defend the years of hard work.

We are inviting our friends from the international TU movement who have a democratic union movement in Europe as a goal, to help us defend democracy in the heart of Europe once more. We are also inviting the public in BiH to find courage and strength and resist the identical scenario it has been watching bluntly for years- mind, lives and attitudes controlling.

The victory is maybe uncertain but CTUBiH will definitely not be defeated. Justice and democratically organized army of our brave, righteous and diligent members and TU representatives is our strongest weapon.