Firefighters threaten protest

The Kosovo Firefighters Union has called on the government to resign and the mayors to empower this category and to fulfill the promises they made.

Firefighters warn protests and strikes if their demands are not met.

Unionists have said that they are forced to react or to take measures in symbol of revolts and frustrations over the alarming situation that has plagued this service and the unwilling institutions to resolve problems that consistently convey this Emergency Service.

Firefighters, in 2019, conveyed many problems, and the coming year will also be even more difficult because state institutions have not planned a budget for firefighters, from local level or central level.

Union Chairman Muharrem Beka said that other demands besides the basic salary have not been implemented and are discriminated against.

He said that the fire service has remained without institutional attention.

“We are at the end of the year, municipalities have not secured a budget for firefighters, and there is no investment for this service for many years.

Firefighters need to be restored to dignity, while today we work in very difficult conditions even with outdated devices. I also appeal to the Government in resignations and to the mayors to find a solution on January 1st for the fire service. Therefore, dissatisfactions are great, the wage law must be implemented, because if it is not implemented we will remain with minimum salaries in the country. No firemen's laws apply. This situation should disturb everyone, as well as natural disasters, such as the earthquake as happened in Albania”, Beka said.

Supporting the firefighters has also emerged the BSPK chairman, who said they are living heroes, but unfortunately promises made by the Government in resignations, have not fulfilled any of them, except that political promises remain on paper. So, as BSPK he said they are behind the demands of this category, which is quite endangered in the workplace.