Azemi: The battle against worker deaths in Kosovo is lost

A tragic accident at a construction site in Pristina, where a crane collapsed, killing a young worker and injuring another, has brought workplace safety concerns in Kosovo back into sharp focus.

The head of the Private Sector Workers’ Union, Jusuf Azemi, speaking live to RTK, described the young man’s death as a grave tragedy for the family, the workers’ community, and Kosovar society as a whole. “It is horrifying when a family expects him to come home and is met with this kind of tragedy,” he said.

Azemi also raised concern over the presence of an 18-year-old at the scene, stressing that the case must be thoroughly investigated by the competent institutions.

According to him, preliminary data suggests that human error was the main cause of the accident, while adding that he awaits official conclusions from the Labour Inspectorate, the police, and the prosecution. “Within two or three days, I believe all the details will be clarified. For now, we can say the cause is human error,” he stated.

In a broader context, Azemi stressed that Kosovo has “lost the battle” against worker deaths in the private sector. He mentioned that 2025 was the worst year for workers since the end of the war, and this year has also begun with a serious situation.

Asked about the Central Labour Inspectorate’s statement that the site had not been inspected earlier because it was in the initial stages of work, Azemi responded that while inspectors cannot be everywhere, the main problem remains the lack of sufficient sanctions against companies that fail to comply with safety and health standards at work.