Kosovo Private Sector Workers Suffering, Union Says

A union representing workers in the private sector in Kosovo said his members were suffering badly in comparison to workers in the public sector - whose wages have been raised repeatedly by the government.

Jusuf Azemi, leader of the Independent Trade Union of Private Sector workers, told Balkan Insight that some workers in the private sector were struggling on only 120 euros a month.

"They don't save anything from that - because from that 120 euros they have to deduct travel expenses and food during the time they are at work," he said.

He said private-sector workers in Kosovo also had to cope with long hours, the failure of employers to pay for overtime, work without contracts, lack of insurance and no paid holidays. "Workers in the private sector feel humiliated," Azemi said.

Over the past three years, the government of Hashim Thaci has twice increased the salaries of public-sector workers.

A number of experts have argued that the cost of funding these wage hikes has fallen largely on the private sector.

According to Azemi, the high unemployment rate is one reason why workers tolerate such poor conditions.

"It is because of the large number of people seeking jobs and because of failures to implement labour legislation," he said.

Some of the worst offending companies "are linked to the government officials, so their companies are not punished", he claimed.

The unemployment rate in Kosovo in 2013 was 35.1 per cent, the statistics agency reported. While still very high, it has fallen compared to previous years.

The jobless rate was 10 per cent higher in 2009, when the last official analysis of the labour situation was conducted.