About 1,400 workers “without letters” apply for pay compensation

About 1,400 workers who have worked without employment contracts in various private companies in Kosovo have submitted registration requirements to the Kosovo Tax Administration (ATK), in order to benefit from an emergency package of the Government of Kosovo.

Through this package, approved to combat the economic consequences of the coronary pandemic, the government has enabled workers “without paper” to sign agreements with the employer at least a year in order to benefit from 130 euros for the months of April and May.

To help businesses and other categories of society, the Government of Kosovo, with the Ministry of Finance and Transference proposal, has approved the 179.6m-euro Fiscal Emergency Pack, which must be implemented by ATK.

Kosovo Tax Administration Director Ilir Murtezaj told Radio Free Europe that businesses and workers could submit requests by 15 May.

The “have applied about 1,400 workers, who are selective in category C, meaning they have entered agreements with the owner after March 1st and who will receive from 130 euros a month”, Murtesaj said.

Company owners are linking contracts with family members?
But representatives of workers suspect that businesses are misusing this opportunity, as they believe owners are signing contracts with their family members.

Jusuf Azemi, chairman of the Independent Private Sector Union, which functions under the Independent Union of Kosovo, told Radio Free Europe that owners are individually benefiting.

“BSPK on the ground has noted that owners are initially filling the list with family members, and then, if there's room for workers... Companies are not meant to legalise workers. Even in this case, companies intend to benefit individually”, Azemi said.

According to BSPK, there are over 150 thousand workers on the job market without contracts. This union has consistently expressed concern that, in addition to the lack of contracts, workers in the private sector work long hours, with only a day off during the week and without an annual break.

Package users will be punished
ATK director Ilir Murtezaj said that so far they have no information on abuses, but if such ones are identified after obtaining the lists, owners will be punished in the form of laws in force.

We have a very functional system within ATK and are able to measure or compare these data. If it is confirmed that there are such abuses, presenting family members, who are not actually employed in the company, judicial measures will be taken in accordance with law”, Murtesaj assured.

From April 11th, when the application to the electronic system has begun for profit from the fiscal package, until now, in ATK compensation requirements have submitted a total of 6,096 businesses. Of them, for pay compensation for workers are 4,917 businesses, with about 29 thousand workers. New workers also enter that figure. A total of 1,179 requests have been filed for payment of the rent.

The total number of employees with contracts, which have demanded compensation, is about 29 thousand.