Unionists demand that the minimum wage become 400 euros: Under that much

The minimum wage in Kosovo, though under the Labour Law, would have to be determined annually, since 2011 it continues to be 130 euros for employed under the age of 35 and 170 euros for employees over 35.

According to Article 57 of the Labour Law, minimum wage should be determined in view of the cost of living expenses, the percentage of unemployment rates, as well as the overall situation in the labour market, and determined for a year period.

While last year they demanded that the minimum wage be 350 euros, the chairman of the Independent Kosovo Private Sector Union (SPSPK), Yusuf Azemi, told Kosova Preis that there should be no proposals now under 400 euros for minimum wage after increasing prices and leaving workers abroad.

 And we've actually proposed that it's 350 euros, although these prices that are and what this situation is, even this escape of the workers that are coming out, we think that under the 400 euro salary everything that anyone thinks is working on is in vain. The request has not been approved, we warn him from time to time that they haven't moved to the minimum wage, or I'm saying whether the prime minister or anyone else thinks the minimum wage will be reasonable at a salary of 250 or 300 euros, I'm saying this is a previous salary, and we don't even want to deal with it<1>, Azemi said.

Parliamentary Commission for Economy Chairman-in-Office The PDK in the Kosovo Assembly, Ferat Shala, said inflation, the energy crisis and the pandemic situation have made minimum wage growth mandatory.

 If we stop and look at the country's socioeconomic flows and developments, and especially in the last six-month, it's necessary to raise the minimum wage and if we want to believe in the parameters that the current government introduces to us that we have a 9 to 10% growth and inflation over 12% that we have such an pandemic situation that means that it's quite disturbing for all the population because we have a special energy crisis in our report with the normal situation, then it's necessary to believe that the minimum wage is mandatory in this case because all these factors are directly involved in the category of social workers and other workers. So it is necessary to raise the minimum wage, but based on these factors that I mentioned, that should be over 300 euros, so 300 to 350 depending on the calculations and calculations that are made in the budget and financial sense”, it has managed Shala.

The other opposition MP from the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo, part of the Commission for Buzhet, Pal Lekaj, told Kosovo that citizens have difficulty living at this time due to price hikes, so the need for minimum wage increases of up to 350 euros emerged.

 “I think that we as the Alliance for the Future have supported that we have a list approved in parliament, but unfortunately we have not met consensus in the Kurti Government and the prime minister, and what we've been thinking is that it becomes the leveling of wages and ceilings or maximum that may be based on what the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo has predicted, but the minimum wage should be at least 350 euros on the way that prices have been raised and that they are facing Kosovo citizens in general, especially those who have the minimum wage of 250 euros or even less, the MP, the AKR, has finished.

Kosovo Preress has consistently tried to take a position by the Ministry of Finance concerning the minimum wage, but has not received answers.

Earlier, Prime Minister Kurti had stated that through the rise of the minimum wage to 250 euros for 40 hours a week and the increase in pay threshold, which is not received at the minimum wage level, those with lower salaries will have more money in their pockets.