Hoti promised education salaries, firefighters warn protests

Through their letter to Hoti, they said their demands by the Government of Kosovo have been ignored and that they have deadlined the latter until January 25th to discuss their demands, otherwise after that date there will be protests by the latter.

They also said they felt disappointed by the government, as they shared additional wage means for education workers, while firefighters were excluded from emergency packages.

Full letter:

Dear Government Cabinet

Honored representatives of institutions, for years we've led you and asked you to fix the unelected issue of the Fire Department, but you neglected and kept silent in an unwarranted manner for years.

At the fire union for years we have identified the problems and violations that came to this category of employees and we have directed you to solve problems and cut off violations and discrimination, to ensure conditions for work, to maintain the health of firefighters, but never gave priority and importance to the service of Kosovo firemen, called <x0Heroj<18x>

The fire union is indignant at the discrimination, bypassing and contempt faced by Kosovo rescuers, misusing commitment, willingness, sacrifice commitment to serve the citizens of the country, never interested in the position of firefighters, the problems facing firefighters, keeping silent for no reason at all, ever firefighters at the level of commitment, and having according to the sacred mission the saving of human life and material goods, given the interests of the country without saving anything from themselves, not to risk themselves for the good of the state.

Today firefighters were once again disappointed by the Government, with the construction of tools for education workers, extra tools in wages, easy action and unacceptable discrimination, firefighters are exempt from emergency package, firefighters face a host of problems, without basic conditions for work, without selected status, firefighters are not compensated for even the legal obligations which are committed to the employer's contract, such as night shifts, state holidays and religious hours, without time, firefighters have no institutional care, in the place of firefighters that are rewarded for their risky commitments and many times, even for Kosovo's efforts today, and for the institutions of the country's persecution and for fighting battles.

Kosovo firefighters will not tolerate a unscrupulous and unacceptable discrimination, so we ask the incumbent prime minister and relevant ministries to urgently analyze the right demands of the firefighters we've posed and asked for their fulfillment years in succession from each government and also the Hoti Government, but they didn't care that your firefighters chose the problems they filed for decades.

We prefer that you urgently take us to a meeting where we would discuss the demands of firemen and analyze the created state and act towards the legal obligations you have and the principle of justice and equality, and not the selective and discriminating decisions, otherwise if we don't accept answers by date. 25.01.2021 firefighters will take union action and organise protests before the Government of Kosovo, Firefighters have lost patience and hope to realise the rights that you are entitled to.