11 workers lost their lives last year, more inspectors are required

The small number of job inspectors has not rarely been mentioned as one of the reasons for not complying with the labour Law, particularly in the private sector, respectively. For this reason, according to competent authorities and employee representatives, the main concern continues to remain the security situation and the protection of workers in the workplace, then contract enforcement, but also the large number of workers who do not have a job contract.

According to official data, as a result of low job safety and lack of protection, 11 workers have been killed in their jobs during 2019. And in 2018, 22 workers lost their lives in their workplace.

Meanwhile, according to Kosovo Statistics Agency data (ASK), the employment rate for the third quarter of last year has been 31.6 per cent.

Of this percentage, according to the ASS Workers' Power survey, it turns out that about 49 per cent of employees have permanent contracts, while 51 per cent, temporary contracts.

Inspective authorities do not provide any percentages of workers without labour contracts, but confirm they legalised 1,800 workers over the past year.

Starting with reported irregularities and the violation of workers' rights, Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti has promised that the new government, which he is running, will be brought to the defense of workers' rights. To achieve that goal, he has promised to increase the number of inspectors.

Currently, 42 working inspectors in Kosovo's entire territory operate under the Labour Inspectorate. And if Kurt fulfills his promise, there will be in the future 400 job inspectors who will take care of the implementation of the labour Law.

The task leader of this institution's chief inspector, Valon Leci, in a conversation about Radio Free Europe, shows that they have consistently presented concerns about the small number of inspectors.

He says with the increase in the number of inspectors, it would be easier to monitor the implementation of the labour Law, which envisions the same treatment for workers in both the public and private sectors.

“We will implement any government decision and are encouraged as the Labour Inspectors for the level at which the debate on this issue is raised, namely, at the prime minister's level. This is encouraging and I hope that the matter of the small number of inspectors meets the history of”, Leci said.

On the other hand, leaders of the Union of Independent Trade Unions of Kosovo (BSPK) welcome Prime Minister Kurti's proposal, but say the number of 400 inspectors is extremely large.

Avni Aydin, BSPK leader, in a proposal for Radio Free Europe, stresses that the important thing in this process is for inspectors to finish work efficiently and fairly and not misuse their official position.

“Even inspectors who take the obligation and task to conduct such an inspection must be very honest and fight corruption. Not if they go to an organization to be corrupted. Here is the biggest failure of the Labour Inspectorate”, Aydin said.

The private sector continues to remain the biggest employer, but despite that, labour unions have continued to report disrespect for workers' rights or failure to comply with the labour Law.

Prime Minister Kurti's idea of increasing the number of inspectors has also supported Finland's ambassador to Kosovo, Pia Sternaval.

Finland's “State of State is interested in helping the state of Kosovo train the administration and expressed interest in the prime minister's idea as many as 60 working inspectors as we have now, the number to increase to 400 sosh”, she has said.

The prime minister, Albin Kurti, since the day of his election to the post on 3 February, has promised that more rights and guaranteed legal protection for the workers will be granted.

We're promoting work eight hours a day, 40 hours a week for workers. To achieve that goal, we will add the number of job inspectors to 400”, Kurti wrote on Facebook.