The Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly initiated a second meeting in Sarajevo on January 31 with the aim of networking institutional and non-institutional providers of free legal aid. The aim of the meeting is to establish better and coordinated cooperation between these actors. The meeting discussed the challenges that the centers face in their daily work, as well as the general ongoing and future problems that BH workers are dealing with in the labor market.
Illegal contract terminations and unpaid salaries were stressed as the biggest problems of workers, and the problem of firing pregnant workers who have fixed-term employment contracts was also highlighted.
In addition, the meeting discussed the level of awareness and knowledge on the rights of workers whose labor rights are violated, and the need for continuous education of workers in this regard. Also, the need to increase the visibility of individual centers was emphasized, especially in local self-government units, where informational data about the existence of centers are not even highlighted. At the meeting, the organizer proposed the establishment of an informal network of free legal aid providers, which the participants supported and presented a number of advantages of the existence of this network. The network would, first of all, enable the exchange of knowledge and experiences, as well as direct assistance and ad hoc help in solving certain cases that individual lawyers are dealing with for the first time. At the same time, it is also necessary to continuously advocate for the amendment of existing legal regulations when, for example, it is about the statute of limitations and the institution of the Ombudsman, which is why the participants of the meeting believe that the network could react more effectively in terms of joint advocacy, but also in increasing the visibility of these centers/institutes in general.
The meeting was attended by representatives of: Cantonal Institute for Provision of Free Legal Aid of Canton Sarajevo, A.C. Workers’ Movement, Association Your Rights BiH, Sarajevo office, Cantonal Institute for Provision of Legal Aid Tuzla, Cantonal Institute for Provision of Legal Aid Zenica, BH Journalists-line for legal aid, Lara Foundation Bijeljina, Center of Women’s Rights Zenica, Cantonal Institute for Provision of Legal Aid Goražde, and the Center for Provision of Legal Aid East Sarajevo.
The meeting in Sarajevo is part of the project “Strengthening Legal Aid Providers to Fight Discrimination Based on Sex/Gender in the Labor Market in BiH” which is implemented on the territory of BiH by the Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly Banja Luka, with the financial support of the Embassy of the United States of America in BiH.
