Istref: I assure Telekom workers that with wage law they will not be harmed

The financial crisis in Kosovo's Telekom has further deepened since the intervention in the bank accounts of this company on the part of ATK, which attracted 630 thousand euros as a debt. Telekom, except that it has not yet realised October's wages for all employees of this public company, is considering the possibility of making a decision to reduce all salaries to get Telekom out of the crisis.

Demir Limaj from the manager becomes the chief chief's adviser, who has so far received 4 thousand and 450 euros a month, while from December with the pay law, he will have a salary of 1,000 and 673 euros.

The financial benefits Telekom will have with Z-Mobile numbers will be around 1.2m euros per year, says in an interview for KosovoPress, chief executive chief in Kosovo Telecom Bedri Istrefi.

Istrefi says staff and trade unions have almost agreed to sacrifice their salaries for a specific period not to drop services in Telekom. As it warns, there will be drastic wage cuts from December to the management.

Istrefi says that after failing to reach a bank guarantee by the Government, it is mandatory that unions jointly find forms and modalities for the best possible possible possibility that this financial obligation of 6.9m euros has been met by an international economic operator (Nokiia) for implementation of the Connery code, for expanding and advancing the network, implementing the maintenance and surveillance law contract.

Istref: A large number of workers expressed willing to cut salaries

“Negotia with union, workers and as much as I've had contact with the workers, almost as many of them are able to sacrifice their wages and not get to the drop of services, and not risk all the wages for the workers. We all of the financial revenues we have are from the services Kosovo Telekom offers and they are currently in a bad situation, because we are entering the fourth year and we do not yet have maintenance contracts”, Istrefi claims.

In addition to these problems, Telekom will again face an arbitration from BAR-Mobile (Dardaphone), which forces Telekom to share a large amount of tools for protection.

For the situation created following the indictment that HINA-Mobileı has exercised in the Arbitrage for 13.5m euros in retaliatory terms, chief chief Bedri Istrefi states that Telekom will be represented in Arbitrazh by one of the ten most serious international companies in the process of selection, but does not indicate the amount of means to be shared for the company.

Istref: We found the tools to defend in arbitration. We'll win.

We're in the procurement process. Processing is being completed for bids to these operators or these international companies. But in view of the current market, the research we've done, we've divided the budget and enough in this case so that we can manage to protect the interests of Telekom and Kosovo. I hope and assure both the government and all citizens of the Republic of Kosovo that the decisions we've made in relation to Dardaphony have been legal and financial-based decisions. Therefore, the decisions we have made will be protected in arbitration and will prove we have had the right to make these decisions and will win as the” process, he says of Kosovas.

Chief chief chief Bedri Istrefi speaking of the earlier decision of arbitration of 25m euros, says Telekom is under way to prevent the company's accounts from being blocked by the owner. So far this company's debts to ATK were 2.8m euros, while total debts totaled more than 30m euros.

Istref: We are on surveillance for preventing account jam

We've acknowledged as such debt, it's Arbitrazhi's decision, we haven't disputed. During the negotiations we've had, we've also made a proposal on carrying out these financial obligations, with which Dardaphony has not agreed, has refused and as such decided that during this process we were conducting negotiations with Dardaphony, send him to completion, where we have then reversed and is the process in court. We are watching the situation closely. I believe that we will manage and create an opportunity to carry out these financial revenues that we have with Telekom”, Istrefi's statement.

Following the dismissals of several managers in Telekom, Istrefi says the law does not allow him to fire Demir Limaj, Fatmir Limaj's brother from Telekom.

For Limaj, who currently holds the councilor's position, it shows that he has not fired, but that he has had to determine whether he wants to keep his primary job at Telekom or at the university.

Istref: Limaj has been named adviser to Telekom

It is defined as having its primary work in universities and law in effect allowing it to have secondary work at Telekom. He is not my adviser, he is an adviser to the Corporation and is taking into account his long-standing experience in Kosovo Telecom and every time in high managerial positions, Telekom needs his experience, his advice in the current cases of coming to a better and more stable situation in Kosovo Telekom”, he says.

According to him, for the salary law that went into effect from December, there has been a panic in Telekmumi's staff, where it says the cofficiency is between 1 and 7. Kreyeshfi Bedri Istrefi has been paid 4 thousand and 450 euros, while from December he will have a salary of 1 000 and 673 euros.

Istref: My salary code is 7 or 1 thousand 673 euros

“I assure Telekom workers that with wage law they will not be harmed. I will never make a decision through implementation of this salary law to harm workers. It's a fact that the first line of high management is affected, but in the situation I've been in, I've asked for a pay cut earlier since March 2019. Let's make pay cuts due to the necessity in which the technical part that we have to make investments of certainly”, Istrefi claims.

For the services of users of HINA-mobile numbers, Chief Chief Chief Chief Istrefi says he will not be interrupted for a moment, under which the transition phase ends on November 28th at 24:00.

He also spoke of the financial benefits Telekom will have with Z-Mobile numbers, saying the benefits will be around 1.2m euros.