Economists and opposition dissatisfied with the payment of a 13th salary only for the public sector; Tahiri: Political calculation

The decision of the Kosovo Government to pay a 13th salary to employees in the public sector has drawn criticism from economists and members of opposition parties. While experts describe it as discriminatory because the private sector was excluded, Besnik Tahiri of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo stated that it is a political calculation by the authorities.

The 13th salary was paid to public sector employees on March 31, but representatives of trade unions in the private sector believe they also deserve it, as they say they contribute the most to Kosovo’s budget.

The president of the Private Sector Workers’ Union, Jusuf Azemi, described the measure as discriminatory and called for its revision.

“First of all, we welcome the fact that the Kosovo Government is granting a 13th salary to public sector workers, but on the other hand, this decision has created discrimination among workers. There are more than 200,000 of us who contribute to the Kosovo budget, and we are the ones who produce and cover most of the budget with our money. On the other hand, if significantly more funds are allocated to the public sector, that is the kind of discrimination that, I would say, only a government in Kosovo could carry out, because it does not happen elsewhere – especially when private sector workers currently have much lower wages and a more difficult social situation,” he said.

The president of the Kosovo Business Alliance, Agim Shahini, also believes that the Government’s decision creates a dangerous division in society by favoring one category, even though all citizens and businesses contribute to filling the Kosovo budget, while the independent union of miners of Trepca South stated that miners did not receive the 13th salary like other public sector employees, noting that this is a “systematic injustice.”

Members of opposition parties agree with these claims. The head of the parliamentary group of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo, Besnik Tahiri, stated that the 13th salary for the public sector is not intended to alleviate poverty, but represents a pre-election promise and an attempt by the current government to influence voters ahead of possible elections.

Tahiri said that the decision on the 13th salary is merely a consolation measure and called on the authorities in Pristina to urgently take steps to support private sector workers.

According to Tahiri, the decision to reward only the public sector is a political calculation.

“The 13th salary for 80,000 people in the public sector by this government is not aimed at reducing poverty and inequality. It is purely an action stemming from a pre-election promise. Given that we may go to elections, this is seen as an attempt to influence the votes of public sector employees,” Tahiri said.

He sharply criticized the selective approach to the distribution of budget funds, emphasizing that workers in construction and other private sectors are completely neglected.

Tahiri believes it is unfair to favor the administration while the private sector struggles with a crisis.