Kosova Democratic Institute (KDI), has held a media conference where it presented recommendations related to employee’s rights in the private sector and dangers that these employees are faced. Florent Spahija from KDI has emphasized that every month in Kosovo there are new death cases reported about employees from the high construction sector.
He has informed that KDI, almost every day accepts calls from citizens who complain about violations of their labor rights specifically of the private sector without exempting the public sector, whom accordingly ought to be an example for respecting the labor rights from the labor relations. ‘’The death phenomena in the workplace recently has marked an increase, because of the increased burst of constructions in every part of Kosovo and the chance to be employed in this sector, for the reason that this sector has high offers for unqualified labor force. Many workers are included in construction sector despise the bad labor conditions and the uncertainty in the work place that is currently reigning’’ has said Spahija
Discussing about factors that have an effect on the number of deaths in the work place he noted that they are diverse, but the similarity of these factors is: the lack of safety in the work place, the carelessness of the employer on offering labor conditions and the negligence of Labor Inspectorate on preventing and monitoring these cases.
When efforts for securing safety in the work place are made, citizens are faced with injustices and violations.
Spahija made it known that citizens complaints of the private sector reported in KDI, speak about cases when the employee has his job relation terminated with a simple notice, when the employer does not respect the working schedule or the payment for working outside the work schedule is not completed, reduction of the salary without any previous notice, payment of salary lower than the average wage, delayed payments, excessive working hours, nonpayment of the pension contribution, violation of the right to weekly rest, violation of the right to rest on official holidays and violations of the right to take the annual leave, and many other cases. He also stressed that KDI is continuously reviewing cases of employee’s discrimination and noncompliance with employees’ rights. For improving the current labor conditions, KDI recommends that:
-Each unqualified employee that has works craft profession, shall be obliged to acquire qualification and get certified from the Employment Agency of Kosovo
-Parliament of Kosovo in cooperation with Employment Agency, Ministry of Labor and social welfare and Labor Inspectorate should work together to complement the national legislation with European Union legislation.
– Parliament of Kosovo and Government of Kosovo/Ministry of Labor and social welfare through the annual budget should initiate the increase of inspectors in the Labor Inspectorate and their wages.
-Labor Inspectorate ought to increase the number of inspections
Labor Inspectorate should continue with awareness raising campaigns for employee’s right and the possible violations by the employers.
-Labor Inspectorate should provide opportunities to submit anonymous complaints and the same complaints to be reviewed.
-Labor Inspectorate should increase transparency by making public all their decisions on their official web page.
-Ministry of Labor and social welfare with the help of Economic Chambers should create a mechanism that obliges private companies to have their workers organized in a union or such.
-Government of Kosovo together with employees’ unions but also the private sector should compile the collective agreement and to sign it.
-Kosovo Judiciary should respect the legal schedules and the work relation cases should be prioritized and finished with efficiency.