Pristina, March 12, 2024 – The Ombudsperson organized a roundtable with representatives of the country’s trade unions in order to address the important issues for safety and health at work, respect for employees’ rights, social dialogue and freedom of trade union organization.

The Ombudsperson has received and continues to receive complaints and concerns regarding rights at work from both sectors, public and private, and this has prompted the need for an open discussion about the situation and poor condition of workers in both sectors.

Union representatives spoke about the challenges and problems affecting their members namely in the education, police, health, correctional service, fire service, customs, tax administration, airport and mining sectors. Some of the representatives emphasized in particular the lack of social dialogue with the government of Kosovo, considering that this lack makes the position of workers even more difficult.

Among other issues that were mentioned were the lack of a collective agreement, the non-implementation of the law on health insurance, the unfair categorization of workers’ wages as a result of the new law on wages in the public sector, the minimum wage and the impact it has on the well-being of citizens, as well as other topics related to working conditions.

The Ombudsperson and unionists agreed that in the future a joint meeting will be held between the trade unionists and the government and relevant ministries in order for the topics that were raised to be addressed to the relevant authorities.