250 euro minimum wage rejected, Kurti criticised for violations of promises

Government promises of employment and improved conditions in the private sector are being trusted.

Independent Private Sector Union is insisting on a minimum wage hike of 350 euros. Since this was also the promise of Prime Minister Albin Kurti a year ago. Therefore, they warn no signing of any contract that is under this sum. And political stability is required to restore the economy to normal condition. Because the budget is not considered an obstacle to the fulfillment of promises.

The new government's two top priorities are management of the pandemic caused by COVID-19 and easing the economic and social consequences caused. The government programme adopted yesterday reportedly that measures to be taken by the executive will support those who have lost jobs, employees for the first time and businesses.

Economy expert Safet Gerjaliu says all these take time to implement, but that requires budget growth.

Based on information from the Central Bank, it cannot be said that money is missing. And in this respect I believe that restoring the economy to normal flow should have financial support. The very fact that there is a great amount being deposited by citizens and businesses exceeding 4 billion, is an opportunity to be used”, he says.

Government pledges are also about establishing the Development Bank and the Sovereign Fund by the end of the mandate. According to Gerjaliu, this requires legal reform.

“In this direction legal reforms are needed, there must be judicial reviews, and I believe it can achieve or do it in the medium-term. For if all of these are thought to be realized for a year, it must be a wish realized. But there must be a ranking, there must be dialogue, and there must really be a political stability for these to be realised”, he adds, writes kp.

Executive leader Albin Kurti has announced that the minimum wage will be 250 euros.

Under the minimum wage hike of 250 euros per 40 hours a week and the raising of the pay threshold, which is not taxed at the minimum wage level, we will make sure that those with lower salaries have more money in their pocket at the end of the month”, Kurti said at the government meeting.

The chairman of the Independent Private Sector Union, Yusuf Azemi, is not at odds. He says that a year ago Kurt had said something else.

The prime minister promised a 250-euro salary, just a promise as if last year's promise was exactly on March 5, 2020. The same prime minister promised that the minimum wage should be 350 euros. And he's definitely saying that in the salaries they get in Kosovo private companies, they can't even pay electricity, water and loans. So you think it's supposed to be 350 euros last year. We have these same water this year, but we have these loans this year, but we have these same salaries this year - $170. And there's actually no movement. Anything that's a turning back”, he declares.

He seems to have been highly favored with Prime Minister Kurti, since he has not even met to discuss the issue.

“We, in addition to contracts signed by public-privates, get government objects maintained and financed by the Government of Kosovo, all other workers will not sign the salary under 350 euros. Where in most cases we are present where private company employees are signing contracts with company owners. So far we haven't signed any contracts under 350 euros' salary”, Azemi says.

Furthermore, at yesterday's government meeting, Albin Kurti said that leaving the pandemic is considered an opportunity to reorient the economy towards production and export, towards increasing dignified employment for all, as well as a sustainable development that protects the environment and for future generations.