Telekom workers seek to suspend pay reduction decision

Independent Union Federation of Kosovo Telecom Chairman Lami Balaj said that at the meeting he held with the board last week they have sought suspension of this decision.

According to him, until the decision on lowering salaries came due to the drastic decline in revenues, mainly because of the claims by institutional officials that Kosovo Telecom is on the brink of bankruptcy.

Balaj for Kosova Press, has said that the suspension of the decision has been called for by the Constitutional Court's decision on the Law of Salaries, which is expected to be handed down by the end of March.

Of course, at the meeting that we had the 8 first with the board we requested that this decision be temporarily suspended until the Constitutional Court's decision on the Law of Salats, because we were basically part of the Law of the Salaries... Of course, we've been worried because we've consistently said that workers' salaries in Telekom aren't at the level we should be, we don't have salaries like it is promoted in the media. We have many companies in Kosovo that receive budgets from the Republic of Kosovo and salaries are higher, while Telekom is the only company that has given it over 500 million and has never received assistance from the Kosovo Government”, Balaj said.

While it says it is not even on the will of the Telekom Board to cut workers' salaries, Balaj says optimistic that this decision will be suspended.

At the meeting with Telekom's board, Telekom's chief executive employee said they have sought a harmonisation of the sectors in terms of degrees.

I don't believe that there's a pay drop at this time, our request should be approved, but if we don't hope that the board has taken into account and I believe it's taken into account, and if we've agreed to lower all other expenses, as we go with a reservation harmonisation, but if we don't achieve that target that is already due in days that Telekom has already made a lot of debts from the past, there's a lot of debts that have been accumulated, that we as well as workers are ready to discuss what we can do, but the well-being of the worker is the end of (4)1x>, the chief Telekomman declared.

According to him, in the event of failing to verify the decision, salaries with a 10 per cent discount is preempted to take all workers with permanent contracts, while manager staff with temporary contracts will have a 20 per cent salary reduction.

Voicing disappointment over the Kosovo government's failure to support the company, Balaj said that if Telekom's debts are required to be paid by the workers of this company, then they would require 20 per cent of the shares of this company with the creation of the new government.

“Of course at the very beginning we've been asking to be suspended is not the first time we've had trouble, it seems to pay for the blame, to be bluntly saying the mismanagement that happened, the thief that happened in Telekom, but if the Government of the Republic of Kosovo doesn't take into account we'll take the situation in hand, but then it's inconsistable if with the wages of the workers being paid for all the debts that have been accumulated over the years, it's inevitable that Telecom workers should be acting at least 20 percent as they are in the region.... Of course, 20 percent will be required by the time the new government is formed because it is our legitimate right... As long as the state doesn't take responsibility and it's 100 percent shareholders as the state has taken over 500 million shares because we're workers and we're working on wages, we're going to owe the petition to our share of what is due to us by law... We're going to ask that 20 percent of the shares of Telekom return to the workers, Balaj said.

Balaj for Kosovo Press has declared how unions will exploit all negotiation opportunities in order to suspend the decision to cut Kosovo Telecom workers' salaries.

Kosovo Post and Telecom Trade Federation Chairman Lami Balaj spoke also about major trouble in providing phone services to this phone company in Kosovo.

What he said was that because of no years of investment in maintenance services, trouble has been caused in providing service for Vala consumers, but that, according to him, this problem will soon be resolved as soon as it is close to signing the equipment maintenance agreement with Nokia company.

The decision to cut workers' salaries from 10 to 20 per cent, the Kosovo Telecom Board announced through an email on January 3rd this year.