Telekom workers demand salary increases

As it is estimated, this company is on the brink of bankruptcy, yet its workers are expressing themselves dissatisfied with wages. They are opposing the decision.

Kosovo's Telekom Board made a decision a month and a half ago to reduce the salaries of the workers of this company from 10 to 20 per cent.

And such a decision was taken without consulting the Union.

Independent Federation of Kosovo Telecom Union Chairman Lamih Balaj says that during a discussion with the former Kosovo Telecom Board about lowering salaries, it has agreed to be suspended until the Constitutional Court's decision on the Parliament.

According to Balaj, there can be no salary reductions of 10 percent or 5 percent without a literal restructuring taking place within companies.

We have an individual working contract, which is signed with the Telekom management and approved by the Board. We as wage discount unions have learned from the media and we have received an official e-mail. At that moment our reaction was immediate, and we sat down and discussed with the Board. Through the ombudsman, we have addressed the Constitutional Court for the Law of Pays, where is Article 27 which includes public enterprises. And it's unfair. We still do not know if we will be part of the wage law, he added.

According to Chairman Balaj, the reduction in wages has caused much dissatisfaction with the Workers' Union.

He added further, that many thefts have been made within Telekom, holding the ministers of dictatorships responsible.

Our request was to go to a restructuring. Until March 31st there can be nothing. There are individuals who don't deserve high wages and we've asked for reconstruction. I believe we have an understanding with the new minister, Mrs. Rosetta, where he will support our ideas for a restructuring. These salaries, which are in Telekom, are the salaries that have to be raised and a lot of people away from certain positions that receive unnecessary salaries. There's a lot of frustration among the workers, but also many thefts that were made within Telekom, Balaj said.

Kosovo's ongoing telecom has been accused of mismanagement and misuse, even for this pretext the government Kurti also dismissed the company's board.