SARAJEVO, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- Professional firefighters of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) on Tuesday called for a comprehensive upgrade to their pension system, delivering a petition signed by more than 800 staff members to the Federal Civil Protection Administration (FUCZ).
Currently, Federation of BiH firefighters retired under the same criteria as standard civil workers. The petition is advocating to adopt the police model, which recognizes special working conditions and offers an optimized retirement calculation.
Projections indicate that this reform would require an additional 400,000 convertible marks (236,085 U.S. dollars) from the federal budget annually.
Firefighter representatives urged the FUCZ to fast-track the proposal to legislative bodies to kickstart the legal amendment process.
FUCZ Acting Director Aldin Brasnjic welcomed the initiative and pledged his full support in pushing the reform through government channels.
He also confirmed that high-level meetings with the FBiH prime minister and ministers are scheduled to take place within days.
FUCZ data reveals a staffing deficit, with only 1,008 of the 1,263 legally mandated firefighting posts currently occupied.
Experts warn that lagging recruitment and an aging workforce severely strain active-duty firefighters, especially during the peak summer wildfire season. ■