‘They denied us our rights. Enough is enough’
K2.0 speaks with the Kosovo Assembly’s maintenance staff, who are on strike.
After a week on strike, workers responsible for maintaining the Kosovo Assembly protested on September 20, 2024, in Prishtina. The Collective for Feminist Thought and Action organized the protest to show solidarity with the strikers, who have set up a tent in front of their workplace since September 16, 2024. They are demanding dignified working conditions, fair treatment and an end to systematic discrimination and neglect.
They are asking for a salary increase from the current 275 euros per month. This salary, which is lower than the minimum gross wage of 350 euros that will come into effect in October 2024, is extremely low, especially when compared to the high salaries of the deputies whose offices these women clean every day.
Most of these women, who handle all maintenance work in Kosovo’s highest legislative institution, are paid less than a quarter of what Assembly members make as a base salary. With per diem and additional activities, Assembly members’ salaries can exceed 2,000 euros.
While the main demand in the strikes is a salary increase from 275 to 500 euros, they have also brought attention to a series of abuses that cannot be resolved by a pay raise alone. These women, employed through private companies contracted by the Assembly, report daily violations of their rights. Many public institutions contract private companies for services such as cleaning or insurance, and these companies frequently face scrutiny for workers’ rights violations.
A day before the protest, a senior adviser to the Speaker of the Assembly Ilir Kërçeli posted on Facebook. He stated that while the salary issue is “the responsibility of the economic operator as the employer and the staff as the employee,” the cabinet publicly supports the strikers’ demands, “rightly recognizing that the current wages are extremely low.” Kërçeli has not mentioned any actions that the Assembly, as the contracting authority, will take in response.
However, the strikers reported feeling humiliated not only by the companies but also by certain officials and administrative staff within the Kosovo Assembly.
“The language used by the company and sometimes by the administrative staff, is so degrading and demeaning that we avoid sharing it at home or in public. We feel ashamed in front of our children and we don’t want our children to feel bad for us,” one of the women explained.
They say this mistreatment often occurs openly and in front of officials and political representatives. “We’re often asked, ‘Why are you eating here?’ We bring our food in small plastic containers — home-cooked meals like peppers with sour cream — because we can’t afford to eat out. But they never say this to the deputies and officials who order food and eat here before we clean up after them,” added another worker.
The women also described another form of discrimination: they are forced to carry heavy cleaning equipment up and down the stairs to avoid sharing the elevator with official representatives. Meanwhile, activists, some feminist organizations, and the Independent Trade Union of the Private Sector of Kosovo support the strike and the September 20 protest — among the few groups standing with the workers in their fight for humane treatment.
“They enable the functioning of the Assembly’s work. However, they are mistreated and poorly paid. They are denied the rights they deserve, such as a dignified environment, pension contributions and medical leave,” states the The Collective for Feminist Thought and Action’s call for protest.
The strikers have set up a small tent in front of the Assembly building and stay there daily from 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., following their contractual working hours. K2.0 spent several hours with them and heard stories of exploitation spanning over 20 years. These include frequent instances of working without contracts, unstable wages, derogatory remarks, lack of sick leave, unpaid overtime during extended Assembly sessions and ongoing threats of dismissal whenever they raised complaints or made demands.
The strikers told K2.0 that, with a few exceptions, most Assembly members have shown no interest, curiosity, or empathy, even though the protest tent is only a few meters away from where they enter the building every day. Despite this indifference, the women strikers remain determined to continue their strike until their demand for fairer wages is met.
Here are some of their stories.
Nazife Krasniqi, 52 years old
I have been working here for almost 21 years. Some workers have been here for 23 years, 20 years, or 17 years. There are almost no female workers who have worked for less than 10 years. Over the past 20 years, the private operators contracted by the Assembly have changed frequently.
We have only had a salary of 275 euros for 11 months. For many years it was only raised twice, by 20 euros each time. 11 months ago, we were earning 230 euros. Even these 20 euros are just superficial.
Our contracts don’t even specify whether the amounts are gross or net [shows K2.0 the contract]. The money for the trust contributions has stopped. Last year, no contributions were paid for any of us who are here. Our salary is so low that it doesn’t even cover basic personal expenses. You are neither respected as a worker nor appreciated. They give us all the epithets except for “human.”
You don’t dare to speak up. You don’t dare to make requests or complaints. We were threatened by the operators. The operators must feel very supported from within because they keep blackmailing us every time we complain. The operator said, “If you want to work, work; if not, take your bag and go. I’ll find someone else to replace you.”
On April 31, as usual, we went to sign off on our timesheet and go home. We were informed that we are not expected to come to work until further notice. We were told that the tender is in the procurement process. In fact, the company told us that the Assembly is saying this and it means that we are not insured to enter our workplace.
We stayed home for two weeks and returned after 15 days. When we resumed work and the end of the month arrived, we received our salaries. The Assembly allocated the full budget, but the operator provided only half of our salaries. The operator only paid us 150 euros.
We have faced similar violations for 20 years, but now it is too much. I went to talk to them and asked why they stopped our salaries. They said, “We can give 500 euros to whoever we want, we can tell whoever we want to go home and we can give 1,000 euros to whoever we want.” We are not interested in personal salaries; they can give it to anyone. But why did they take our money?
This means that every time the contracts are renewed [including the renewal of the contract between the Assembly and the company], they do not pay our contributions. Do you see the injustices and irregularities happening within the Kosovo Assembly? We were without a contract from December 31 to May 15.
Now I have a new contract from May 15 to November 15. When I asked for a pay rise, they told me, “Remember the date because you won’t be signing it again.”
I felt so upset and so offended that I had to see a doctor, who prescribed me two sedatives. I complained on June 6 and you can see the same date on the doctor’s prescription [shows the prescription]. Where are we living? Is it shameful for the Kosovo Assembly, the country’s highest institution, to allow such violations.
Miradije Jakupi, 57 years old
I have been working here for 23 years. I have experienced all the governments, the independence, all other events. The first time we received salaries, it was in marks — around 250 marks. Since then, our salaries have been decent, allowing us to support our families and raise our children. However, each time a new operator came, our salaries were reduced. The operators always kept wages as low as they wanted.
From 7:00 a.m. when I start work, a few of us clean about 25 offices on one floor. We also clean the corridors after the offices and two halls where the commissions meet. We enter the office and the halls where meetings take place; sometimes it’s every hour or twice an hour, we don’t know, but we have to be ready to clean between meetings. There are times when they tell us, “Come back and clean again.” So, we return and clean a second time.
There have been times when I worked during long or extended sessions and there was no bus to get home. I had no way to get home, so I had to walk all the way to Vranjevc, about five kilometers, late at night when the streets were empty. Imagine what it was like during the pandemic, after extended sessions, the fear, the terror in the alleys and the stray dogs. And whenever we work like this, we never get paid for our overtime.
My husband was killed in the war, along with five other family members. This has nothing to do with our demands, but it shows how little care anyone has shown us. How is it possible that after all these years, no one has asked how I get by at the end of the month? No help from anyone. My mother-in-law and my two sons lived off this salary. I somehow managed to raise my children with it, and now I can’t even cover my own expenses while facing disdain every day at work.
Shefkije Canolli, 59 years old
I have been working as a maintenance worker in the Assembly for 10 years. I am the head of my family and have three children. I started working out of necessity when my husband died. Before that, I stayed home to raise my children. After that, I had to raise them with my salary.
Only I know how I managed to raise three children on this salary. I suffer from osteoporosis, only my body and hands know the pain I endure from working every day. It would have been worth it if I at least had a better salary. But I clean and sweep all day and in the end, the money doesn’t even cover my medical expenses.
I feel bad that I have become a burden to my children. The drugs, injections and check-ups I need are more than my salary can cover. Just look at my fingers, how they’ve become crooked [she shows her hands].
During the day, I clean over 300 square meters — buffets, stairs, corridors, 12 offices, a large hall, two sets of bathrooms, windows — everything. Whatever they need, we are at their service.
They have denied us our rights. Enough is enough. Whatever happens, it doesn’t matter whether they give us our money or not. They will only reveal their true character. All we are asking for now is a salary that at least covers the basics.
I only have a high school education. Before I started working here, I wondered if I knew how to speak and behave as properly as the people around me, who all had a higher education. I felt bad about myself. Now, I think they should feel bad about themselves. I have much better manners than those who insult us and the others who just stand by and watch the mistreatment.
Mevlide Aliu, 64 years old
I have been working here since 2002. In a year, I will retire. For me, the salary and job are almost over, but that doesn’t matter. I’m protesting so my colleagues can have better salaries after I retire. If I manage to get a better pay, great. If not, I’ll be happy if my friends do, because we’ve been mistreated enough. Every year it has gotten worse — the salary has become smaller and more insignificant. Now, with inflation, it’s almost a joke.
I remember when the salary was 230 euros and then it dropped to 130 euros — imagine that. Then it increased to 165 euros and was raised just a bit. Now, it is very difficult to live on that money. Before, with 100 euros, you could buy a lot of things; now, you can’t buy anything with the same amount. All you can do is buy some basic items at the store. As for personal items, don’t get me started. If it weren’t for my husband’s income, we wouldn’t have made it, especially in recent years.
It also affects how you feel, because you feel like you’re not contributing anything. I’m hoping it turns out well for them because I’m almost done here. There are no words to describe how depressing it is to retire like this, feeling worthless in the eyes of both the company and the state.
We did not dare to ask for a pay rise because we were threatened. We’ve endured pressure from the operator, from Assembly officials and from the administration. Although there are some good ones. We provide all these cleaning services — for sessions, commissions, delegations, visits. No one could enter here if it weren’t for us providing these services.
All day, we clean halls, offices, corridors and bathrooms — over and over. Sessions get extended and go on, yet no one offers you water or asks if you’ve eaten. This isn’t something new; it has been like this for 20 years, year after year.
Feature Image: Majlinda Hoxha / K2.0.
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- This story was originally written in Albanian.