Institutional responsibility required for Kosovo workers' deaths

He suffered a tragic loss yesterday at noon at his workplace. The minor had been working for two weeks at the Styropor factory in the village of Mushnikova “Sat Styro” of the Prizren municipality.

The family's only son, Aliu, had thought to help his family get out of the poor conditions in which he and his two younger sisters and parents were living.

His death has prevented family members from speaking out of shock. But the charge in the direction of the government neglected on these cases when workers lost their lives in the workplace had Yusuf Azemi, chairman of the Private Sector Workers Union.

“This is the most serious case that so far in Kosovo for a worker at their workplace. This is even more serious because the only son of the family has lost his life and lost his life in a workplace where he wanted his family to offer social assistance. It's really a case that has shocked us and it's hard to find words of comfort for the family, the Kosovo workers, but it's a message for Kosovo workers to call on, please save your life, because the state and the owners of companies are not doing it, so we call you that such cases never happen, even though we know that such cases occur in the world, but if this case is either legal or human, it's a very serious case, and I don't know what the government will say to this dead worker's 11:1...

In turn, he has told Kosovo Press that according to information that has so far as union, the worker started working ten days ago, eventually two weeks, and by experience he indicated that there was no work contract.

Perhaps now it's very easy to get a job contract and if we visit tomorrow they'll have a contract, but I doubt there's been a contract, because in Kosovo it's known how to work”, he said, adding that legally the hard work in persons under the age of 18.

“Article 45 of the Labour Law allows workers to work under the age of 15-16, but they have to work very easy work and the labor law and sanction very strict that workers dare not do hard work, they dare not work in closed environments, and workers working under the age of 18 dare work only 30 hours in a week, and in such a case he actually worked all week and worked on Saturday which has done a psychic burden and has come up to the case”, the chairman of Dynia Azezman said.

While police have announced that Ali had fallen into a student processing machine on a tragic day, Azemi says they are waiting for police bodies to come up with their decision, while acknowledging that other workers where the tragic case occurred are reluctant to speak.

As for whether the factory owner had to be arrested in connection with the case, Azem says it is a matter of police and labour inspectorate.

I think that to die a 16-17-year-old person under a company somebody must be responsible”, he says.

Regarding measures the union will take after the case, Azemi said they would back the legal side for this family to have financial support.

Basic Prosecutor in Prizren Petrit Kryeziu has confirmed through written answers to Kosova Prees that they are investigating the case as a work accident.

The Labour Inspectorate has also been contacted to get to the scene and to ascertain whether adequate labor and working conditions have been respected. The victim has been sent to the Law Medicine Institute in Pristina”, Kryeziu has said.

The prosecutor also said that police under the prosecution's supervision are taking the necessary investigative actions to ascertain the actual situation in the concrete case, while there are no detained persons or concrete suspects.

I can inform you that from information the Prosecutor has, the same is found in the outside world. I'm reminding you that we're talking about the initial phase of the investigation and depending on the evidence provided by police and the Labour Inspectorate report, the prosecution will move away in order to discover any criminal acts and any eventual leadership, depending on the results and evidence provided. For this we expect the report with findings from the labour Inspectorate, that the labour law allows to be employed by 15 years of age, but there are some criteria for easier work where I should prove the Labour Inspectorate”, he said.

Asked what measures will be taken if the Inspectorate finds the violations mentioned by Kryeziu, he has said these measures are ahead with the Kosovo Criminal Code.

“in those cases where work does not pose a risk to their health or development, but in this part I cannot be released at this stage. If that happens, then the prosecutor of the case will assess which criminal act by Chapter X. XIX of criminal acts against general security of people and property is in question. Now it's early to claim something like that, he said.

Kosova Prees has also tried to receive statements from managers of the Sat Styro company, but these have not responded and have not allowed the team or film before the factory, where Ali lost his life.