Local worker evacuation, companies urged to increase wages

In Kosovo the number of workers who are leaving the country has increased in recent years, and their departure is estimated to be taking place because of inadequate pay and poor working conditions.

Kosovo Independent Private Sector Union Chairman Yusuf Azemi told EO that considering that in many companies the number of workers is halved, companies themselves must now consider raising salaries for workers.

I think company owners should be more vocal than the union for the increase in workers' salaries because they're being directly punished because in many companies, the number of workers in this sector is now halved, as workers are just missing and I think that concern should be in the first order even for company owners”, he said.

According to Azem, it regrets the large number of workers who are on the run, but according to him, we are at a time that we live for tomorrow” and with a salary of 200 euros cannot afford a family in Kosovo.

It's very painful what we're saying, but we have an extremely large movement of workers leaving Kosovo, in the first place, is the pay issue, but besides pay is the other conditions, not implementing the labour law, not having any collective agreement and other laws. There's been a time that can't be expected because we're living for tomorrow, and with these salaries that we have, it's very normal that we can't afford to be”, he said.

Democratic Party of Kosovo MP Isak Shabani said workers if they had a dignified salary they would not leave, but would also make their contribution to Kosovo.

And that's very disturbing to him, and we've also demanded that possibly be included in the wage law to have a dignified salary, so if there's something dignified that they can certainly donate here in Kosovo”, he said.

He added that the Government of Kosovo is not taking steps to prevent this phenomenon.

Shaban stressed that workers cannot be accused of leaving because they are demanding that they have a better life.

I think it's not enough, this is causing the crisis that's continuing mass displacement, especially professional frameworks which the European community is asking for, but citizens can't be charged because they seek solutions for their lives to have better prosperity”, he said. /EO