Government requires cleanliness, but does not reward company workers “Cleaning”

Riza Selimi, a worker at the Regional Waste Company “Cleaning” in Pristina, has never stopped working, despite the risk of any possible contagion with Covid-19 disease, caused by coronary.

On March 13th of this year, when they also began implementing the Kosovo government's already in place emergency measures for preventing the spread of new choreography, numerous businesses, public institutions and servants cut off their jobs, or their activities are developing with reduced capacities.

But company employees “Cleaning” over this period has doubled their jobs.

Selimi, who is manager of the waste transport unit in the Pristina municipality, says that since presenting corruption cases, he has been at work.

But, Selimi says he is disappointed with the Kosovo government's decision in office, as in the Fiscal Emergency Package, cleaning workers will not be helped financially, as has happened with workers from other sectors who benefit from this government package.

We are very disappointed because we have been discriminated against. I don't know who planned to exclude one of the major sectors from the package, so it comes after the medical staff and the police. Because without the purity of the city, I don't know how we would be protected from pandemic. If the waste in Pristina doesn't accumulate in 24 hours, it creates chaos”.

“Cleaning” took waste from the hospital, quarantine...

In the government's Fiscal Emergency Pack, it is envisioned that additional rewards worth 300 euros for the next two months be shared for medical staff, police and firefighters. With 100 euros per two months, however, it has been decided to reward workers who during this stage worked on food Marks, ovens and pharmacys, who were allegedly exposed to danger.

But, chief executive at the company “Cleaning” Burim Kelmendi in a discussion about Radio Free Europe states that even the workers of this company have been endangered by coronary infection after performing necessary services all the time.

Our <x0... our employees in the service, even in the Infectious Clinic where they are treating people infected with coronarys, twice a day they empty waste containers. Even in all families in the seven municipalities where the company operates, special door - to - door service has been performed. From Pristina buildings to the Students Centre already used as quarantine, workers have been in service of”.

Kelmendi, meanwhile, says competent authorities have neither brought protection equipment to the company “Cleaning”.

Regional waste company “Cleaning” is a public company that deals with the collection, transport and waste management in Pristina and six other Kosovo municipalities. This company numbers over 700 workers, where the average salary of a physical worker is up to 350 euros per month.

Government says cleaning workers have not been endangered

On the other hand, officials from the Ministry of Finance and Transfers have said that these companies had to be tasked by contractors and workers to receive their full salaries.

Muharrem Shahini, the spokesman at the ministry, in a response to Radio Free Europe has said road cleaning workers cannot be compared to risklessness with hospital cleaning workers.

Hospital cleaning workers and family medical centres are more exposed to danger because they have direct contact with patients, Sahin argued.

“also needs to be understood that this measure of addition for workers who are at risk the most is not valid for the fact that someone has worked during this time because not all those who have worked are involved, but those who by government's decision have been exposed to risk added”.

Despite the workers of this company working continuously during the months of the coronary pandemic, consumers have failed to pay bills totalling 1.2m euros. / REL