This May Day finds the world and Kosovo facing the health and economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The situation of workers in Kosovo has not seen any significant improvement this year either. The minimum wage has remained unchanged at 170 EUR per month (as set in 2011), despite an average increase in the cost of living of approximately 3% per year (inflation rate). Workplace hazards have slightly decreased during this year (May 1, 2019 – May 1, 2020). In 2019, 11 people lost their lives at their workplace in Kosovo.
But the most serious issue at this time is the economic and social situation created as a consequence of the pandemic. It mostly affects the poorest layers of society – social cases, the unemployed, as well as low-income workers, especially those in the private sector.
The Institute for Social Policies “Musine Kokalari” calls on the Government of the Republic of Kosovo to make addressing the minimum wage one of its top priorities after returning to normalcy, so that workers in Kosovo can afford a dignified living through their salaries. Currently, such a wage should not be less than 300 euros. This minimum wage must be reviewed annually to keep it updated in line with developments in the country’s real economy.
We also call on the deputies of the Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo to initiate the procedures for amending the Labor Law. Changing and supplementing the Labor Law would eliminate the extreme and absurd flexibility of employment contracts, in order to guarantee job security and the right to union organization.
The current Labor Law does not set a minimum duration for employment contracts. The only specified term is the maximum duration (10 years) for a fixed-term contract. If this duration is exceeded, the contract is considered an open-ended contract. The absence of a minimum term (e.g., prohibiting contracts shorter than one year) creates great insecurity for workers, as it has been proven that short-term contracts are often used as a disciplinary tool against employees, greatly increasing employer arbitrariness and limiting workers’ rights.
On one hand, the category of workers without regular contracts is at risk, and on the other hand, those with short-term contracts lack any institutional support. Being mostly employed in jobs that do not require qualified labor, they are easily replaceable.
Finally, it is essential to expand and strengthen trade union organization across all sectors of the economy and industry. In particular, workers in those branches of the economy that are currently not represented by any unions should establish and join trade unions.
Happy May 1st to all workers!