Kosovo

Central and local government workers have joined teachers and health workers in strike action against government plans to reform the public sector pay system. New legislation is set to establish a more unified and consistent pay structure across the public services but most groups of workers are unhappy about the proposals. Health workers were among the first to take action at the end of last year.

The healthworkers' union organised a two-day strike on 27-28 December, calling for better pay. With doctors on around EUR 600 a month, the union underlined the need for decent pay to stop workers leaving the service to find better paid jobs in other sectors with less stress. Emergency services were maintained during the action which the health union said it would repeat if the government failed to respond.

Public service trade unions have reacted angrily to government proposals to reform the public sector pay system which ignore union submissions on changes to the system. The controversial plans not only include a doubling of the prime minister's salary and increases for top officials but widespread changes that the unions say will not properly reflect the skills and qualifications of their members. The healthcare union points out that medical specialists could end up being paid less that drivers in some institutions and it has threatened strike action if the government doesn't negotiate.

(April 2016) The FSSHK health union organised protests at health institutions around the country on 31 March in order to put pressure on the employers with negotiations stalled. The union is campainging for a pay rise, better working conditions as well as an increase in staffing.

Letter to FSSHKEPSU has sent solidarity greetings to its health affiliate FSSHK. The union joins other public sector unions in a general strike protesting against the government's failure to implement the General Collective Agreement of 2014 and the wage law of 2010. EPSU has also sent letters to the country's president and prime minister urging them to respond to the unions' demands and begin negotiations over pay.

On 23 May the SPEK energy trade union organised a protest in Prishtina in front of the offices of the Ministry of Economic Development which manages the KEK energy company. The union action was in protest at the way workers in the company have been treated and the privatisation of two important divisions of KEK, namely the supply and the network divisions.