We had four difficult years with Kurti” - Jasharaj warns strikes if demands are not met by new government

The chairman of the United Trade Union of Education, Science and Culture (SBASHK), Nundman Jasharaj, has warned that this union will seek the rights of teachers from any government, even stressed that if demands are ignored, strikes and protests in education will follow.

In an interview for Online Economy, Jasharaj has said that any political subject coming to power, the union will consider it to be the will of the people and will try to communicate and have dialogue with you.

“We will ask for our rights and if they fail to do so let them know there will still be strikes and protests by the SBAK, if our demands are ignored by the government coming from the February 9th” elections, he warned.

Jasharaj, has declared that the union is closely following the February 9th 2025 election campaign, adding that it is willing to co-operate with all competing parties.

He has suggested that there are promises of salary increases and a more positive approach to unions.

According to him, in recent years under Kurti's rule, it has been difficult for unions, since dialogue and co-operation have been lacking.

“We are paying close attention to the campaign and will also follow the campaign to see what they are saying, especially the candidates for prime minister, the first LDK candidate statements, PDK and AAK, promises are great. I'm also talking about the value of the colonel 150 that will affect the wage increase. They promised to have a different approach to unions and I believe their statements will hold and we will have another spirit in the face of the situation. These four years of government Kurti have had difficult years because it has influenced dialogue. He and his cabinet have had an extremely wrong approach to unions, ignoring even the demand for meetings or dialogue. We are among the rare states that the Social Economics Council has broken down and blocked with the blame of Minister Murati. After that, neither Minister Nagavci left since the 2022 strike has found one day to sit down and talk to not only us but also the Parents' Council”, Jasharaj said.

Jasharaj points out that all teachers are not prepared to advance, but, according to him, are prepared to keep the clock the way it is.

And we learn what happens in education from the media, but we're not locked up in any activity that MATTI develops, and in the last case, it's the advance process, which is kept out of any transparency and teachers didn't know what was in store for them. It's not good to be taken the other way. It is natural that all teachers are not prepared to advance, but are prepared to hold the clock as it is”, Jasharaj declared.

He believes the opposition has learned from past mistakes and will have a different approach if it comes to power.

We expect that it will be a very tight campaign, we expect what all parties are telling us, if they call us to meet we'll meet and talk to them. I believe the opposition learned from the past and if it comes to power it will not make the mistakes it once did, I believe that this government that is now will change its approach not only to us, but also to courts, the media. Because Kurt's attitude has been hostile to the unions and separately to us that they wanted to cancel it with the Mqira by making it up. EKosovo”, he stressed.

As for the current government, Jasharaj has criticised Kurt and Murati's hostile attitude towards unions, claiming they have tried to erase them and control the workers.

And we thought that Vetevendosje would be that because its programme was very social, prior to elections and coming to power, Kurt promised us miracles and none of them did, and our frustration is not just because they didn't keep their promises, but our enlargement is why this incredibly wrong approach to us and they try to bring us to the public as their enemies. They're the unions' enemies, because they wanted to shut down trade unions, and do whatever they want with workers”, he took off.

He has also expressed disappointment with Vetevendosje's unfulfilled promises, especially the social programme and promises for trade unions.

The bad news is that even the rights we've gained Government Kurti has gradually denied us, the three promises that have been extremely great have gone through great penalties. Even inciting their army on Facebook to insult and insult us throughout the educational system and others who have raised their voices. Kurti's government wished it would never come to Kosovo again, I wish the party's coalition would come because when there is a coalition nobody feels it's the biggest of this country but co-operates”, Jasharaj added.