Outgoing KED workers threaten general strike

Tens of KEDS workers in Mitrovica, supported by the Federation of Independent Unions -- Electrico Kosova (FSPE) -- have protested today, reacting thus against the decision to cut off labour contracts for several workers of this company.

They announced that workers' contracts were cut off for no reason that is taking place each year on the part of KED, suggesting that only this year were they cut off from ten workers, from whom two in the Mitrovica district.

Protesters have appealed to relevant institutions to intervene as soon as possible in solving this problem, otherwise stressing the general strike as a further step in supporting these workers.

Fehmi Pajaziti, deputy chairman of the FSPE in Kosovo, said workers with many years of work experience are being replaced with new generations and paid with minimum salaries of 170 euros.

According to him, this is a violation of the law, while drawing attention to an expulsion of workers in a much larger number on May 7th, when most of the company's employees were contracted.

“For us as unions is a violation of the Law, because their jobs have not died out, they do exist and they figure out, but unfortunately in our post-war Kosovo which we didn't like, it's free market and there are cheaper workers on the market and it's taking advantage of what at minimum wages of 170 euros are replacing workers who have worked and experienced 8-9 years in KED... it's just a warning of the ECDS, our company, that on May 7th, when a large number of workers are out of the contract, which is set aside for them to have, because we're going to take other actions, which are going to continue with such general protests, and we're not going to have a number of them yet, but we're not going to have a number of them, but we're not going to have a number 10 per cent.

While Abdullah Wessel, chairman of the FSPE in Mitrovica, in addition to the return to work of displaced workers, has cited several other demands, such as improving working conditions, signing collective contract, etc. He, calling members of the management of this company as a usurper, has demanded their expulsion from Kosovo from institutions.

Wessel has warned energy collapses across the country if the respective institutions fail to take measures.

“We are gathered today to express our frustrations and to let the management withdraw this decision and return workers to work. Otherwise, we're going to protest further and general strikes... I have some requests for management, to restore workers to work, to meet the workers' terms, to sign the collective contract which is obliged to do, to raise wages, and eventually to freeze the experience to approximately 0.5 percent... This company is acting as a usurper... and we're looking for what they're calling terrorists from Kosovo, to react and to remove these exhumers from Kosovo, and to return to review the privatisation of this company, whether in what form it's privatised... So call on institutions, parliament, the president, not to force us into the strike, because Kosovo will go to the energy collapse”, Veselin noted.

Otherwise, the protest, which was held in front of the KED building in Mitrovica, has lasted about an hour and no incidents have been marked, while police members have been monitoring the situation all the time.