Kosovo: 500 Workers Protest at Dubrava Prison

The protesters asked for salary increases, the swift passage of the Correctional Service Law, payment for night shift, payment for travel expenditures, and the improvement of working conditions. They warned that they may also protest in front of the Ministry of Justice.

The leader of the union for Kosovo’s correctional service, Zenun Sadikaj, told Kosovo media that the protest was carried out without any problems, and that the protesters were "expecting a response from the Ministry of Justice by Wednesday." Sadikaj said that they would continue to protest until their requests were met.

The minister of justice said she had received the requests and that she hoped to meet a delegation from the union at the minister’s office. “I cannot promise anything but I will try to discuss this issue with other high-level officials,” Nekibe Kelmendi, Kosovo's minister of justice, told Balkan Insight.

Minister Kelmendi said that the ministry had requested an additional seven million euros before parliament approved Kosovo’s budget for this year. The request was made to cover the salaries and daily wages of correctional service employees, and it was not approved by Kosovo’s parliament. “I then decreased the requested amount to two million euros, but again it was not approved,” Kelmendi said.

1,650 people work for the correctional service in Kosovo; the lowest monthly salary is 324 euros.

Today's protest of correctional officers and administrative staff at the Dubrava prison followed the protests of doctors and policemen in Pristina last week.

Firefighters and employees of the courts and the prosecutor's office, as well as public administration and tax administration unions, have warned that they may also call for protests.