Nine people lost their lives in jobs, a commitment of 100 inspectors is required

In cases of workplace accidents, when inspectors have found that law was violated by employers, punishment measures have been imposed on them.

In an interview for Online Economy, the chief job inspector says inspections are taking place in co-operation with the Kosovo Police.

During 2021, the Labour Inspectorate recorded 188 accidents in the workplace, of which 139 have resulted in minor injuries, 40 of them with the most serious injuries, and nine of them have resulted fatally in the workplace. In fact, when I took this position the other institution that we've had co-operation was just the Kosovo Police, so I have inherited a partnership with the police, where the Labour Inspectorate has taken action in various businesses, both in gastronomy, construction worker and here operations have often resulted in success”, Nikci says.

The other challenge says Nikci is also the small number of job inspectors, where at the moment there are only 31 in all of Kosovo.

Despite warnings of increasing their number, the number of labour inspectors at the country continues to be the same. Nikci, shows the number of inspectors currently and planned to add.

“The challenges I have found and fulfilled with the receiving of mandate are many, initially starting with the small number of job inspectors. On June 1st of this year, I have found the Labour Inspectorate with 31 inspectors, facing this reality, I have noted that monitoring law enforcement, is extremely flawed with this number of inspectors, and as a result I have announced an internal competition in civil service for 27 positions for inspectors, and from this competition we have been able to recruit only four inspectors, two in the region of Pristina and two in the Gjakova region. Whatever with 35 inspectors, the number is still small for monitoring law enforcement”, he said.

“For 2023 we have planned and budgeted for 100 new job inspectors who, during the year 2023 in different stages, will announce the competition and with the commitment of these 100 new inspectors, law enforcement will be at a better level than it is now. In fact, the Labour Inspectorate needs more than that, but for the next year we also have 100 new inspectors --”, he said.

He has said he will attempt to reduce the number of workplace accidents, which requires co-operation with citizens, who say they can identify cases where there are violations of workers' rights.

The other priorities associated with adding inspectors are also lower injuries at the workplace. The construction sector is the high-speed sector in Kosovo, and my priority is to reduce workers' injuries in this sector, and also fatality cases, unless they are growing”, Nikci said.