KMDLNj Raises Alarm Over Workplace Safety: 32 Workers Died Last Year

Following the latest workplace fatalities, the Council for the Protection of Human Rights and Freedoms has responded by describing the level of worker safety in Kosovo as still alarming.

KMDLNj reports that 32 workers died in Kosovo last year, most of them in the construction sector.

The organization says it has long called for better working conditions and more frequent preventive inspections. It has also proposed that money collected from fines be distributed to the families of victims and workers who suffer permanent disabilities.

The statement lists the lack of protective equipment and measures, weather conditions, inadequate qualifications, health conditions, workers’ age, and poor oversight by institutions as the main causes of fatal accidents.

According to KMDLNj, a large proportion of workers continue to work without contracts, preventing them from exercising the rights to which they are entitled. The organization believes no lessons have been learned from the loss of life, which it says could undoubtedly have been prevented. As a result, 2026 has likewise brought no improvement in protecting workers and their lives.

According to the statement, the difficult economic situation forces many citizens to accept whatever conditions employers impose on them. KMDLNj directly links this situation to the high number of lives lost at work.

To improve the situation, KMDLNj is calling for more inspectors in the field or the hiring of a supervisory company with professional capabilities. The organization stresses that shifting responsibility from one politician to another does not help address this sensitive issue.

According to KMDLNj, instead of political clashes, interinstitutional cooperation and coordination are needed, as this is the only way to prevent loss of life.

In conclusion, KMDLNj emphasizes that work is a fundamental human right, but it remains meaningless unless the right to life—the foundation upon which all other rights depend and are built—is guaranteed.