From the government, the chief police union disappointed: No Answers to Our Requests

The head of the Kosovo Police Union, Imer Zeqiri, has said they have not yet met with Minister of Internal Affairs Xhelal Svecla to establish priorities on which of their 14 demands could be realised by the government in a short time.

This was after last December 20th, following protests by Kosovo Special Police Units, KP Union officials had held meetings with Minister Jalal Svecla and KP director Gazmend Hoxha to discuss what requirements the government could realise.

Zeqiri has said that regardless of whether such a meeting was co-ordinated at the beginning of this year to meet and set priorities on which of the requirements could be realised, a meeting like this has not yet taken place and why the union has again applied to the minister to remind them that they should meet.

He has stressed that they will be insistent that this meeting takes place and their demands are met.

“For the meeting that took place in December last year with the minister, we agreed that the requirements we submitted also showed during talks at the December summit we agreed that at the next meeting we should sit down and talk, set priorities on which of the requirements could be realised a shorter time, which might remain later. This meeting hasn't happened yet, we don't know why the meeting hasn't happened even though we have addressed a request to remind the minister that we should meet. We are also expected to perform the presentation before the petition Commission, and we are definitely waiting for a appointment by the minister. We don't have any clue why. We are hoping that this meeting will be realised soon and we will be insistent that this meeting takes place and we will see what priorities will be to meet the requirements that we have already submitted to Interior Affairs Minister”, he said.

He has said that their priority is the law on retirement over the age of 55, daily spending, travel spending, and the 13th wage.

I'd rather when we sit down to get a mirror of an opinion from the minister himself which government I can make first of which a little later. As priority priority is the retirement law over the age of 55, the law has been drafted for several years and should come, then daily spending, the 13th wage we are carrying out with indictments not to be harmed as a police fund and as a government fund, to be done with times like this. However, without giving up other requests”, he said of EO.

Zeqiri has said that if these requirements are not met, the resignations of police officials will increase even more, now even after visa liberalisation.

For starters since visa liberalisation by January one, we don't have any visible moves, any extraordinary movements, even resignations. However, if we are truly standing by these conditions and none of these requirements are realized or begin to meet the demands, I strongly doubt that by the middle of the year we will have any more or more of them. Because she resigned to the KP there were even before visas were liberalised. Last year we had over 100 voluntary resignations, we only started this year on the first month, with about 10 voluntary resignations, depending on the conditions. The only preventing the resignation at the KP is meeting the conditions and well-being”, he said.

The PK protest had occurred last year after the government had adopted new packages for additions to elite units and other police units.

According to this package, for elite units -- for the Special Intervention Unit, the Unit for Fast Intervention and the Near Protection Unit respectively -- additions are 150 euros on the base wage.

Meanwhile, for the unit for explosives and demining, the government has said the extension will be worth 120 euros.

Members of border patrols will benefit from 100 euros per month, while members of the investigation from an additional 75 euros per month.

The reactive teams and patrols -- which make up the largest number of Kosovo Police -- will receive an additional 60 euros per month, while police officers who commit to the safety of the facilities and those in operations management will be separated from 50, respectively, 40 additional euros in risk.