Salaries Law Disturbs Public Sector Workers

The ombudsman has called for the deployment of the provisional measure to the implementation of the Law for Salaries in the public sector until a final decision by the Constitutional Court.

The law on wages, newly enacted, regulates salary increases of 70 percent of public sector workers, while 30 percent remain abroad.

The salary law would have to be implemented by January 2020, including the monthly wages of December 2019. But, due to the dispute of this law in the Constitutional Court, it remains unclear whether workers involved in the rising wage, with this law will receive increased salaries from January.

Kosovo's Constitutional Court has a 60-day legal deadline to respond to the ombudsman's request.

And until the Constitutional Court makes any decision, the Ministry of Finance in the Government of Kosovo has made preparations for executing December's wages in two options, according to the existing salary system and level and under the new Law. Outgoing Finance Minister Bedri Hamza, in a proposal for Radio Free Europe, says that “wage execution will be realised on the basis of the Constitutional Court's decision”.

However, some unions require the application of this Law, while others do not comply. These reactions have intensified even more now, when the law in question has been sent to the Constitutional Court as the latest insistence on interpretation.

Kosovo Three Unions Mayors, United Education and Culture Union - SBA US, Federation of Kosovo Health Unions - The FSSHK and the Kosovo Police Union demand that law enforcement not be stalled. These three unions on Friday have held a joint meeting and have called for an emergency meeting with Kosovo President Hashim Thaci, incumbent Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj, and the leaders of parliamentary political subjects.

Shaban Tasholli, chairman of the Kosovo Police Union, said the meeting aims to inform of the possible consequences in the event of failure to implement the Law on Salaries.

We want to meet with him, so we can consult whether there's room for wage leveling like it is by law. On the contrary, if the Law is not implemented, then we have our union rights, education and health will go on strike, while police have the right to protest”, he said.

But, unhappy with the Law, there are about 23 thousand civil servants in Kosovo's local and central administration who have also filed complaints with the ombudsman.

Kosovo Civil Service Union Chairman Mursel Zymber told Radio Free Europe, that civil servants feel discriminated against and are not treated equally as far as pay is concerned. It shows that the average salary of civil servants in Kosovo is 370 euros per month. However, under the new law, according to him, some of the civil servants' salaries could also receive a 40-euro increase per month.

“I fully agree with the action the Ombudsman has taken and we expect this law to be reviewed to establish justice. And whatever the Constitutional Court's decision is, it is the final decision and must be carried out. And, we ask the Constitutional Court to impose legitimacy in the country”, Zymber said

But, Ehat Miftaraj from the Kosovo Institute for Justice told Radio Free Europe, that if the Constitutional Court establishes premature measures for implementation of the Law, then the execution of the month's monthly salaries will be realised under the old Law.

“This Law is not equal. While some public officials have salary hikes, for a certain number of public officials, which is a large number, there are pay cuts. Since the European Court for Human Rights practice, this cannot happen”, he praised Miftaraj for Radio Free Europe.

The number of workers receiving salaries from Kosovo's budget is about 82 thousand. The average public sector salary, according to the recent data of the Kosovo Statistics Agency, in 2018 was 573 euros.

Under the new Law, the lowest monthly salary is that of the 322-euro house, 621 euros is the salary of high school teachers, university professor will receive 1.505 euros, chief prosecutor 1. 912 euros, Prime Minister 2.151 and the president of Kosovo from December will receive the monthly salary worth 2,390 euros. /rel/