Even KEK management at the side of workers, against the salary law.

KEK workers and the union have placed all hopes on the Ombudsman's institution and the Constitutional Court to prevent the new wage law from entering into force through which KEK workers are expected to cut salaries. This law will take effect on December 01st, 2019.

You see what pollution there is, in what dust, in what conditions workers work, what conditions we have, they tend to drop wages. She doesn't come in the expression. We've put pressure on the independent union to engage more around us, and us around the union, that doesn't come to the expression lowering wages or otherwise Kosovo remains in the dark. I'm so surprised they could vote. They didn't know where there's a fly, nor what's produced by this mouse.”He says frustrated, worker Alush Muqolli.

At the KEK New Trade Union, they say they are facing great pressure from workers who take even tougher action.

“It works 24 hours. Here in the mine, 8 million tons of coal is planned to be mined within a year, and at a sweat of 12 million cubic feet [12 million cu m]. All this work falls heavily on the KEK employee, the governing staff and manager staff. We hope very much in justice, that the court will make a decision so KEK workers can get away from this law and not force us on the streets. Otherwise, we are obliged as executive leaders of the new union to go with more radical union measures. The latest one will come as far as cutting power from KEK workers. If it comes to the latter, I regret to tell the citizens of the Republic of Kosovo to be led by generators that the current will not have”, said Selatin Sadiku U. D. Head of SR-KEK.

KEK Managing Director Njazi Thaci has said the management will be alongside the workers in implementing their demands.

The Kosovo Energy Corporation's most vital “are its own workers. Thanks to their hard work, the sweat they have shed, we have tremendous good results today. We're an example company from other companies that don't get a cent from the state, but we just give it to the state. We pay about 24m euros just tank, pay T VV is like all private companies and we have a profit of about 17 million. Once again, I want to assume that this is thanks to the maximum commitment of all employees, ranging from those who work in mines in coal mining to those who deal with the final production of electricity at the thermal power plant. The wage law that has been passed in the Kosovo Assembly is harmful to the workers of the Kosovo Energy Corporation and damages all this effort and all the results we have so far. KEK workers are not compared to employees of companies or civil servants working in the office. They work in the field, change jobs and special specifics. I am convinced that it will not come to that, because our institutions will take concrete steps and this injustice I believe will stop. On the contrary, we are obligated that I as director and all employees join the workers in carrying out their demands, because it's an unfair request, and I think that all the controls that we have will flee to other markets. You know that the new Kosovo thermal power plant is on the verge of starting, or I will start soon, and with these current salaries under the law that will have KEK workers, I think most experts will go away”, KEK managing director Nyazi Thaci said.

He stated that given the hard work done by workers, the management has made a decision to divide the jubilee wages.

“We've made the decision that KEK workers are given jubilee salaries, which are provided according to the Kolektive Count for 2015, 2016, 2017. However, we have made the decision that the jubilee salaries are given consistently for all those employees who have spilled sweats and can within the Kosovo Energy Corporation. From today we start signing agreements with all employees and paying I believe by half of next month”.

Despite the fact that workers look to the Constitutional Court to correct this injustice, the ombudsman has not yet sent the case to the Court. In this institution, they say they are conducting tests about the complaint filed by KEK workers.

“We have received complaints from the KEK Workers' Union over their claims involving violating their rights and freedoms. We're doing the random analysis, we're studying that under the law on wages, which articles or what international standards of human rights and freedoms have been violated regarding the law on wages. We're in the evaluation phase and after analyzing the whole case, we can look to the Constitutional Court with the claim that there was a violation of basic human rights and freedoms. We have no mandate to send the law to the Constitutional Court until the law starts to implement. Under the Constitution and according to the Law on Court and the Law for the Ombudsman, six months after entry into force, the ombudsman has the right to refer to a law at Constitutional Court”, Mehdi Geci, first deputy ombudsman, said.