Since the beginning of the year, 16 workers have lost their lives at their workplaces. Of these cases, 65.7 percent were recorded in the construction sector.

Civil society representatives consider the current occupational health and safety situation alarming. Meanwhile, the Central Labor Inspectorate is the institution responsible for imposing punitive measures on employers when workplace violations are identified.

Gersi Gashi of the Center for Policies and Advocacy told KosovaPress that worker deaths make occupational health and safety the most pressing issue at the moment. According to him, the Labor Inspectorate should address the problem by applying a method that has proven somewhat successful: shutting down worksites.

Gashi stressed that suspending operations is the only way to ensure that a worksite without adequate occupational health and safety conditions does not continue operating. He also called for a stronger zero-tolerance policy so that the Labor Inspectorate does not tolerate such cases at all. According to him, increasing the number of new judges and standardizing how cases are handled would enable the courts to expedite the resolution of cases related to workers’ rights.

From a legal standpoint, Supreme Court Judge Qerim Ademaj told KosovaPress that courts have the authority to review claims by injured parties seeking compensation for any damages.

Ademaj said that in certain cases in which a worker died on the job, employers voluntarily compensated the worker’s family. However, when the parties did not agree on the amount of compensation or on other matters, families turned to the courts to seek the damages they believed they were entitled to. He said courts frequently handle cases of this nature, including damages affecting the victim’s family.

According to Ademaj, apart from compensation for damages, there is no other form of punishment for employers in such situations.

Jusuf Azemi, chairman of the Private Sector Workers’ Union, said the lack of punishment in previous cases encourages private companies to act irresponsibly toward workers. He said the main hope is that there will be no workplace deaths and that the union does not seek to have anyone punished.

However, Azemi stressed that a worker can lose their life, while the company owner may be detained for as little as 48 hours, then released and remain free. According to him, the failure to punish previous cases gives owners a kind of encouragement not to take responsibility for Kosovo’s private-sector workers.

KosovaPress sent questions to the Central Labor Inspectorate regarding this issue and its operations at worksites, but had received no response by the time the article was published.

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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.

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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.

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If they do not receive their June salaries by Tuesday of next week, the technical workers of primary schools in Prishtina have decided to completely suspend work.

This stance was taken during a meeting held today among the heads of the trade union associations of this sector.

Jusuf Azemi, leader of the Private Sector Workers’ Union, warned that if payments are not made by that day, there will also be protest gatherings.

He explained that the meeting was called after previous promises from the deputy mayor of the municipality and some of his associates, who had assured that the salaries would be delayed at most until July 15. According to Azemi, there is now information that the payment has not been made due to internal problems in the municipality and there are no signs it will be done soon.

“We have waited enough. If by Tuesday the money is not in the accounts, from Wednesday we will not report to the schools and will cut off all services. Also, we will go in front of the municipality building to demand our rights,” Azemi stressed.

He added that the situation has become unbearable, since for more than a year salaries have never been received on time. Azemi mentioned the rhetorical question of a female worker, who had pointed out how the mayor would feel if he were missing two salaries. “We receive 390 euros per month and we have received nothing since May. How can we survive in Kosovo? Our decisions are in accordance with the law on trade union organization and we will not work without being paid,” he declared.

Milaim Sopi, representative of the school technical workers, said that the lack of salaries is severely worsening the livelihoods of these employees who take care of the maintenance of school buildings. He recalled the promise received during a meeting with the deputy mayor and some directors, where it was said that the salary would be given on July 15. “Today is the 22nd and the payment has still not arrived. This has heavily harmed us. Many of us are in debt and have unpaid loans, while the banks are constantly contacting us about the late payments,” Sopi recounted.

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According to the FSRTK, the situation surrounding salaries is deeply concerning, as their delay beyond the deadline set by law is not merely an administrative or financial issue, but a direct violation of a fundamental labor right and the dignity of every worker.

In its letter, the Federation stresses that this is not an isolated incident. It recalls that just one month ago, on June 7, it was forced to organize protests for the same reason, believing that this reaction would serve as a serious signal to the responsible institutions and lead to concrete measures to prevent the situation from recurring. However, according to the Federation, the same violation has been repeated, demonstrating a lack of institutional responsibility and a failure to fulfill one of the most basic obligations toward workers.

The Trade Union Federation of Radio Television of Kosovo (RTK), as the legitimate representative of the public broadcaster’s employees, is addressing you with deep concern regarding the situation created by the non-payment of RTK workers’ salaries, which, even on July 9, 2026, have still not been executed.

The failure to pay salaries within the legally prescribed deadline is not merely an administrative or financial problem, but a direct infringement of a fundamental labor right and the dignity of every worker. A salary is compensation earned through work, guaranteed by the legislation in force in the Republic of Kosovo and by international standards for the protection of workers’ rights.

This situation has become even more worrying because it is not an isolated case. Just one month ago, on June 7, the Trade Union Federation was forced to organize protests for the same reason. At that time, we believed our reaction would serve as a serious alarm for the responsible institutions and that concrete measures would be taken to prevent this situation from recurring. Unfortunately, today we are facing the same violation, which demonstrates a lack of institutional responsibility and failure in managing one of the most basic obligations toward workers.

The Trade Union Federation considers it unacceptable for the public broadcaster of the Republic of Kosovo to operate under conditions in which workers are forced to wait for their salaries without any clear deadline, without transparency, and without any official communication from the governing bodies. This situation undermines not only the well-being of workers and their families, but also damages trust in public institutions and threatens the normal functioning of RTK.

According to the letter, RTK’s Board and Management have also failed to exercise their responsibilities with transparency, professionalism and accountability. The Federation considers the lack of public information, the silence in the face of this situation and the failure to provide a concrete solution unacceptable and contrary to the standards of good governance that should characterize a public institution.

For this reason, we call on you, within your constitutional and institutional powers, to take the necessary actions to ensure an urgent resolution to this situation and to guarantee that RTK workers immediately receive their salaries.

At the same time, we ask that institutional accountability be ensured for the causes that led to this situation, and that measures be taken so that such cases do not recur in the future. No one should remain without responsibility when the fundamental rights of workers are violated and the functioning of the public broadcaster is put at risk.

The Federation has warned that if a solution is not found immediately, it will continue without hesitation with an escalation of union actions and the initiation of legal procedures before the competent institutions. According to it, all legal and trade union means guaranteed by law will be used to protect workers’ rights, while any consequences that may affect RTK’s functioning will be the full responsibility of the Board and Management.

In the end, the Federation stresses that RTK workers will not accept salary delays becoming standard practice. According to the Federation, they will not pay the price of institutional incapacity, negligence or mismanagement, as their dignity is not negotiable and respect for their rights cannot depend on financial or administrative circumstances.

The Trade Union Federation adds that it remains committed to dialogue and institutional cooperation, but at the same time says it is determined to defend, by every legal means, the interests of the workers it represents. It expects an immediate response and action from the institutions of the Republic of Kosovo, in line with their responsibility to protect the constitutional order, legality and citizens’ rights.

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