A wave of calls to boycott shops, gas stations, cafes and restaurants on Friday, January 31, 2025, appeared on social networks in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Bosnian edition of the TV “En1“ reported. The boycott is intended as a protest against high prices and low living standards, BTA reported.
These calls come after the successful civil action in Croatia, where on January 24, citizens boycotted the retail chain because of high prices. The organizers of the initiative in Bosnia are calling on citizens not to buy anything on January 31st, but to stock up on necessary groceries in advance, cook at home and avoid spending money in restaurants.
“This is a way to express our dissatisfaction with the rising costs of food and energy while wages remain low. A one-day boycott can send a powerful message“, reads one of the widely shared messages on social media, quoted by the television.
People on online forums point out that food prices in Bosnia and Herzegovina are higher than in some developed countries such as Germany, while housing costs are still unbearable. According to Adis Kečo, a representative of the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Bosnia and Herzegovina, such actions indicate serious socio-economic problems in the country. He warns that business profits are increasing, while workers' wages remain insufficient to cover basic living expenses.
The organizers of the boycott emphasize that the aim of the action is to put pressure on the authorities and employers in the country to take concrete measures to limit inflation, increase the minimum wage and improve the general standard of living of citizens. The authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina have repeatedly frozen the prices of the most important food products.