National Council for Occupational Safety and Health holds first meeting, Hoti reports more than 290 work stoppages

The first meeting of the National Council for Occupational Safety and Health (KNSSHP), organized by the Ministry of Labour, Family and the Values of the Liberation War, focused on protecting workers, preventing workplace accidents and strengthening the institutions responsible.

Minister Andin Hoti said workers’ safety and health must guide every institutional decision and action. Neither economic interests nor deadlines can take precedence over people’s lives, he said. He said concrete steps to strengthen protections had been taken this year, starting in his first term, while describing his second term as short.

Hoti said emergency measures were introduced in April to increase inspections, particularly at high-risk workplaces. Of 8,608 inspections carried out in just seven months, the violations identified led to more than 290 orders to stop work.

The minister said the Central Labour Inspectorate has moved to a fully digital inspection system. A decision has also been made to use drones to help monitor construction sites and other high-risk workplaces. He said the changes aim to improve documentation and transparency and enable faster responses to violations.

The institutions are close to completing the recruitment process for 39 new inspectors: some interviews have been completed, while others are still under way. Hoti said this would strengthen the Central Labour Inspectorate’s capacity for broader, more effective on-site oversight of both labour relations and occupational safety and health.

The ministry is also preparing a national awareness campaign. It aims to remind employers of their obligations under current legislation and inform workers in the Republic of Kosovo about their rights and how to report abuses.

Hoti praised the work of the Central Labour Inspectorate, its inspectors and everyone who has contributed to the digitalization reform and other changes made in recent months. However, he stressed that workplace accidents continue to occur, including fatal ones. He said greater, more serious commitment was needed, along with careful analysis of each case to establish responsibility and prevent similar accidents from happening again.

Speaking about the Council’s formation, the minister called it an important step for cooperation among institutions, employers, workers’ representatives and experts. He said the Government of the Republic of Kosovo had established the National Council for Occupational Safety and Health under Article 4 of the Law on Occupational Safety and Health, with a mandate to help develop policies and continuously monitor conditions in the field.

Hoti asked Council members to put forward concrete recommendations to improve working conditions, prevent accidents and address occupational diseases. He said proposals should have clear deadlines and assigned responsibilities, and their implementation should be monitored. The ministry, he added, would support the Council’s work, with the aim of ensuring safety is considered in every decision and at every stage of work.