Technical workers protest: They demand that the salary be 350 euros

About 1,000 technical workers today demanded that their minimum salaries from January 2020 be 350 euros.

In support of this protest was Kosovo's Independent Private Sector Union, while the connoisseur of economic issues assessed that the demands of these workers are right to dignified wages.

The protests also held the employees of this profile at the Philological faculty, which stressed that this type of protest organisation would not stop it from implementing demands for salary growth and implementation of the collective agreement.

Bellae Haziri, representative of over 200 technical workers at the University of Pristina, stressed that their current salary is 230 euros, and by next year, they refuse to have less 350 euros.

And we're protesting today, we've protested a month earlier because of salary increases, and the thought of all workers is that the minimum wage is 350 euros. At the moment we hope so and will stand before our demands. Even tomorrow we have it in this form, now to see how the decision is being made and how the agreement is being reached with staff... the salary for now is 250 euros, 230 euros we receive, so under 350 are not of reconciliation with the lowest salary of”, Haziri said.

Even technical workers at the Student Centre were in protest today from 10:00 to 11:00, who demanded salary increases.

Adele Rexhepi, a representative of the 28 technical workers of the Centre, said the demands for salary increases from 230 euros to 350 euros will never stop until implementation.

A 350-euro minimum wage rate, because we have low wages and we cannot survive. So today we're in protest for an hour, even tomorrow, then we take further steps. If there is no action in this direction, we are on strike until our” conditions are met, Rexhepi stressed.

Independent Kosovo Private Sector Union Chairman Yusuf Azemi tells Kosovo that workers' demands are the right to 350 euros' salary and implementation of the law and collective agreement.

Azemi had a message for private companies to be careful during signing contracts with the Student Centre, with Pristina University, Pristina Rectorate and Pristina municipality, as new contracts should be paid 350 euros and pay taxes on salaries, because millions of euros have been lost in the private sector, avoiding these taxes.

This type of protest, we've had great pressure that even many companies from Gjakova, Mitrovica, Obiliki, and Vushtrria and many other municipalities, but yet we've come to revenge that we haven't let them get into this protest, because we haven't been able to manage the whole situation, and for now there's approximately 40 workshops where these workers are protesting today... The profile of such workers exceeds the figure of over 10,000 workers, technical workers in Kosovo working with this account of work”, Azemi said.

While, Economy expert Safet Gerjaliu tells Kosovo that today's protests are reasonable for the fact that wrong policies with increasing salaries in the public sector have been created.

The former chairman of OEK said the current policymaking of employees and the form of payment is an injustice which Kosovo will be very expensive, not only today, but also in the future.

“Definitely these protests have their own reasons for sʹe as the product of a wrong government policy and institutions that to buy citizens' obedience increased wages, and those salaries are not paid by the government, but that budget is made by the private sector and by Kosovo citizens. Therefore, it is an injustice which Kosovo would cost very much, not only today, but also in the future. What is more disturbing is the other fact that psychologically they have planted a young people's demotovim to approach the private sector, to have creative and innovative ideas. For worse today, Kosovo has turned to flee and not to stay”, Gerjaliu says.

And institutions officials have not been declared for the demands of workers. The technical workers' protest will continue during tomorrow's same day at these institutions between 10:00 and 11:00.