RTK trade unions: If by Friday there are no actions for wages, from Monday we protest

On behalf of RTK's three unions, Veton Rugova said the protest was organised to protect the dignity of workers and their right to full wages.

The three RTK trade unions are together today to protest RTK's full wage default. It's not a group issue. This is the issue of any worker who has hard and committed himself has contributed to this institution. We are gathered here today to protect our dignity as workers. Today, the very people they carried RTK on foot, facing uncertainty about their salaries. This is unfair and unacceptable. Behind every RTK worker stands a family. The salary is not a luxury. The salary is the means by which we support our families and make a living. We do not ask for privileges. We don't ask for favors. We seek only what belongs to us by law”, Rugova said.

He stressed that workers are not responsible for the financial crisis in the institution and sought accountability from RTK leaders.

The “should be clearly said: workers are not responsible for this crisis. They have not managed finances, made budget decisions, and could not pay the price of mistakes of others. So today we seek responsibility from those who have been forced to run and protect the institution. Silence, delays and lack of action are not solutions. Workers deserve answers and deserve salaries. We call on the Board and Management to immediately secure full pay and give a clear answer to the workers. We will wait until Friday for a concrete response and for resolving this situation. But let it be clear to all: if there are no concrete actions by Management and the RTK Board by Friday, then from Monday we will continue with protests and other union actions. We will not stop until workers' rights are respected and until each worker gets what belongs to”, he said.

Support for the protest also voiced Kosovo Journalists' Association Chairman Xhemajl Rexha, who criticised management of the situation and the treatment of the public media.

It's a pity that it's the same time that in a short time RTK employees remain without pay or delay. We see this as a lack of responsibility for RTK management. We invite the board and management to make every effort not to repeat things so that they can be paid for their work and be transparent with workers so that these crises like this can be avoided. All RTK's recent problems relate to the way the Government of Kosovo, led by Kurti, has addressed the public media, with the division of only 8.9m euros out of almost 22 million. This political party has wanted to keep him in political control RTK and unfortunately has achieved a large measure where recently a good portion of it, especially central news, has become the propaganda elements for VV and RTK. We invite RTK colleagues in case of the pressures we know happening, political inside and we continue to support them to the end”, Rex said.