Since the beginning of 2017 the management of the Public Forestry Company in the region Republic Srpska in Bosnia and Herzegovina violates freedom of association by interfering with union matters.
The director of the company, Risto Marić, has repeatedly been inviting the directors of the company’s local branch to discuss “Activities regarding the organisation of the Trade Union”.
“These activities are direct interference into internal matters of a free and democratic trade union. The BWI strongly protest against the activities of the management, which are against the ILO Core Labour Standards”, says Ambet Yuson, General Secretary of the BWI.
The management is also supporting a group of workers from the Directorate of the company – for which even company vehicles are put at the disposal. Risto Marić, director of the Public Forest Company has caused a great deal of indignation from the workers as the wood from the Republic of Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina is freely exported to Serbia through a private company which Mr. Maric regularly supplies with the highest quality of raw materials.
It is very surprising that this is taking place in a Public Forest Company, owned by the Government of Republika Srpska, which is also holder of the internationally recognised FSC certificate, issued based on the respect of the ILO Core Labour Standards to which the company has committed.
“We will continue the struggle against the interference of the management of the Public Forest Company in internal matters of the union and will fight for genuine representation of workers’ rights in the forest and wood sectors thru collective bargaining and other legal menas.”, said Vlado Pavlovic, president of the The Trade Union of Forest, Wood and Paper of Republic of Srpska, SSPDPRS.