Half of Kosovo's private sector without contracts

Besim Kadriu, over 35, from the Kosovo Field, has been working at a small production company, without contract and sometimes over-the-time. He does not want to make public the name of the company he works on, but he says he has sometimes requested the signing of the work contract so that the payment of contributions to the Pension Savings Fund is possible.

I wanted to have a contract, work eight hours a day and have two days off, just have favourable conditions for work. But they don't make the contract because they don't approve of the owner because he has to pay tax obligations. I depending on the company's need, I work overtime, it happens 12 hours a day”, Kadriu said.

Kadriu's trust is just one of many working without contract. Jusuf Azemi, chairman of the Independent Private Sector Union in Kosovo, says 50 per cent of workers in this sector do not have labour contracts linked to the employer.

There are no labour contracts, no guidelines to implement where working conditions are defined. In the absence, about 80 per cent of private sector workers work overtime”, Azem told Radio Free Europe.

The private sector is the biggest employer in Kosovo. It is estimated that over 220 thousand workers work there. The average salary in the private sector is below 350 euros.

Azem: If there is political readiness, improvement opportunities exist

But conditions in the private sector have been constantly criticised by workers' representatives. Low wages, inadequate treatment of workers, lack of contracts, long working hours, are some of the irregularities that workers in the private sector currently face, Azemi says.

Azem says the priority of the new Kosovo government should be improving the workers' situation in the private sector. This can happen if there is political will and readiness.

We hope that this government will deal with these problems that so many have accumulated. However, it will not take long to implement these, only a discipline is needed in the Labour Inspectorate and company owners, and everything will be fine because the labour law is adopted only requires implementation of”, he said.

Vetevendosje Movement: Job contracts and 40 hours of regular work

Private sector workers will have dignified working conditions guaranteed, with labour contracts, paid pension contributions, and no more than 40 hours of regular work a week. It is one of the promises of Albin Kurti, whose party, Vetevendosje Movement, according to the Central Election Commission's preliminary data, has won the general parliamentary elections, held on February 14th.

In the programme, which was presented during the election campaign, Kurti has said that “will double the number of job inspectors, with the aim of preventing employee discrimination and preventing risks at work”.

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However, Besim Kadriu expresses sceptical that the party, which will create the new government, could improve conditions in the private sector. According to him, the solution to this problem has been promised in each election campaign.

I don't think this is gonna work out. No party so far has been able to fix the situation in the private sector”, he said.

Minimum wage, 250 euros

But Azem says the minimum wage must initially be raised. The amount of this salary in Kosovo is 130 euros for employed under 35 and 170 euros for employees over 35 years of age.

The Vetevendosje movement, if it manages to establish the government, has pledged that the minimum wage plans to raise it to 250 euros, for commitments of 40 hours a month. This salary, according to LVV, will be excluded from personal income tax and will be revised annually to reflect the establishment of national income in the country.

In addition, the Vetevendosje Movement says “will strengthen co-operation with trade unions by encouraging and helping workers to union organisation at all employment levels”.

The company in which Faith works has 15 workers and does not have their union formed.

The union has legal powers to protect its members through legal strikes. The union could suspend the work of companies until workers' rights are violated. He may even turn to the court for intervention or threats against workers.

Otherwise, in Kosovo in 2010 the Kosovo Assembly has been passed the Labour Law, under which the full working time takes 40 hours a week in both the public and private sectors. But according to Yusuf Azez, he could not have done this.

This, because as he estimates, Kosovo's “liderschipi has not broken its heads for specific situations in which the country has been found, but has moved towards early elections”.