VASIĆ WARNS AGAINST EXPLOITING FAITH TO CONTROL LABOR RELATIONS

ISTOČNO SARAJEVO, NOVEMBER 24 /SRNA/ – Attempting to influence labor relations in the name of religion or any ideological principle in a society that is secular and based on the rule of law represents abuse and manipulation, sociologist Vladimir Vasić told SRNA.

Vasić reminded that BiH is a secular country that guarantees every individual freedom of religion and the right to practice it without infringing on the freedoms of others, and that faith is a personal and moral category, not an instrument for achieving political goals. Vasić emphasized that those proposing the new draft Labor Law in the Federation of BiH /FBiH/, which introduces a weekly one-hour break for religious observance as a right for all workers, while workers are in a position worse than ever due to violations of basic rights, care least about actual faith or prayer. "Such measures by lawmakers might make sense in Mashhad, but not in Sarajevo. Or perhaps, they make more sense in Sarajevo?" Vasić said. According to him, it is clear that some people still hold the spirit of a "declaration" that would regulate all areas of society according to the principle: "Whoever has more, also makes the law." He stressed that such attempts in BiH, given its territorial and socio-political structure, cannot succeed, adding that this is not a matter of personal beliefs, but of respecting a system and rules that guarantee rights to everyone. Vasić doubts that there is any good intention behind such legislative proposals and added that it is in fact another attempt to impose something already respected, undermining the fundamental principles of the rule of law. He noted that religion must not be a political instrument or a tool for manipulating society. "It is time to make a clear decision: do we want a multiethnic and secular community, based on the rule of law and respect for individual freedoms, or a state governed by religious principles?" Vasić asked. He emphasized that labor rights, safety, and the dignity of every worker are not only legal obligations but also the foundation of moral and ethical responsibility for every lawmaker. The new FBiH draft Labor Law provides for a weekly one-hour break for religious observance as a right for all workers, which in practice benefits only Muslims, since other religious communities practice their rituals outside working hours, reports Večernji List, BiH edition. The newspaper notes that the only religious ritual regularly held during working hours is the Friday Jumu'ah prayer, around noon, which directly overlaps with the working hours of most employees.