How much are members of Kosovo Police Special Units paid?

At least, the formula is unclear, since it is not about their basic monthly salary.

Members of the Special Intervention Unit of the Kosovo Police (NJSI) and the Unit for Treatment of Exploitation Tools (NJTME) protested in front of the Government of Kosovo building, demanding a revision of the pay category for job risk.

They demanded that the risk surplus be 50 percent of their basic salary, not as Government has assigned to seven categories, of various monetary values.

Kosovo Police Union Chairman Imer Zeqiri told Radio Free Europe that he does not expose Minister Svechla's statement that members of special units have been able to obtain financial means of up to 2,200 euros a month.

But, he said the gap must be made between the basic wage and additions taken for overtime hours.

Let's get this straight... The salary is the same for everyone. The rest could reach that figure. It's working hours after work hours. And those operators and police officials who have been engaged in operational plans in the northern part of the country, more have stayed at work than at home, or stayed for weeks without returning home. That made him its own. I know that's why the minister himself was notified, said Zeqiri of the REL.

In northern Kosovo, the Serb-run area of majority has been high for months, as local populations oppose the decisions of Kosovo institutions.

The most cautious in selecting words was Svecla's chief, Prime Minister Albin Kurti. He said the amount of 2,200 euros includes the police's basic salary, plus additions.

“There are 203 Kosovo police officers who this year had higher revenues than the president of the Republic [1.890 euros gross, coefytor 18], and in June and July were close to 700 like [where certainly the absolute majority of NJSI members]”, Kurti wrote on Facebook.

Police members' work is adjusted to the Law on Police. The additions to the police are said to include compensation for dangerous work, overtime, holidays, and special work assignments.

However, no monetary value is given to the law than police are paid for overtime.

A member of the elite police unit NJSI unit known in public also as FIT "who spoke to Radio Free Europe" said that a member of its unit has been working a maximum of 540 hours a month.

On average, members of this unit, engaged in the north after increasing tensions between late May and here, work 173 hours a month, he said.

According to this NJS member, they are paid 3.60 gross euros for an overtime hour, or 3.40 euros.

Kosovo police did not answer Radio Free Europe's questions about how many members are in the elite units of this institution, nor do they have what kind of men they have.

In the Kosovo Police, salaries are based on the Law on Salaries and are divided by co-efficiency, depending on the degree officials have.

But, for example, if a senior policeman, who has a basic salary of 615.5 euros, worked 540 hours a month (160 regular hours and 380 extra hours) based on the value of 3.60 euros for extra hours then it would be paid in that month to pay $1.983.

Thus, to achieve the income of that value, the policeman must work long hours, equivalent to over three months of regular hours of eight hours a day.

Why the elite police units?

For the first time since the Kosovo Police were established 24 years ago, members of the two special units went to protest.

Masked and uniformed, they demanded that “be played with their dignity” and, as they said, their <x2 families' ”

A representative of these elite police units said their demands are: classification as separate entities and involvement in the expert list, risking to determine 50 per cent of the basic wage and having additions to specific working conditions.

“We wanted to determine that our demands are absolutely economic and social requirements, easily feasible”, the protest representative said.

Police chief union Zeqiri told REL that the demands of police protesters are “reasonable, real and legitimate”.

In late October, the Government of Kosovo presented additions to riskiness for Kosovo Police members, which will take effect this month.

The extensions are divided into seven categories, depending on the positions of police officials.

For elite units, respectively, for the Special Intervention Unit, the Unit for Fast Intervention and the Near Protection Unit, the additions are 150 euros on the base wage.