Jovanovic from the Unia syndicate: The Influx of workers from Kosovo has already lowered wages in Switzerland

Zoran Jovanovic, a member of the National Migration Commission of the Unia syndicate, the largest union in Switzerland with over 200,000 members, assesses for Kosovo Online that there are still no official figures on the number of workers from Kosovo who have come to this country after January 1st and visa liberalization, but due to the large influx of labor, the hourly wage has already decreased, and the Albanian language has been included among the official languages in this union.

“The number of workers from Kosovo has increased after visa liberalization. I hear this from colleagues who work in construction. But, this influx of labor has also led to a decrease in the hourly wage. I've heard from our people from the former Yugoslavia that the hourly wage has already fallen. Employers have started to blackmail them for wages. They give them less and say, There's someone else who will work,“ Jovanovic says.

He says that at this moment it is impossible to determine how many citizens of Kosovo have started working in Switzerland after January 1st because, he explains, there is a 'gray zone' in the employment of all migrants.

“These are gray areas in which everyone participates a little, everyone hides, and everyone in some way has a piece of the cake,“ claims Jovanovic.

He says that according to some information, the largest number of workers from Kosovo are employed in the construction sector, mostly in the Canton of Ticino.

“We know that Mr. Pacolli is there and has companies, and they go there. Whether they are working illegally, unreported, or if contracts have been made, I don't know, but it's mostly public knowledge. Some data even surfaced that there are up to 50 registered at one address. However, no one reacts, not even the Swiss police, known for their thoroughness, strictness, and respect for the law,“ Jovanovic notes.

He explains that the influx of a larger number of workers from Kosovo is also indicated by the fact that in it, the largest union in Switzerland, Albanian has recently entered 'official use'.

“At lower levels of union communication, Turkish and Portuguese have been used so far, and recently Albanian has been added. This indicates an increase in the workforce from Albanian-speaking areas and a concession is made for them to understand what is being discussed. No one would just randomly introduce Albanian. There is a reason; there has been an influx of labor in construction, and it is necessary for them to understand, to have better communication at work, but also to know what is happening, where they have come, what their wages are,“ Jovanovic explains.

Jovanovic says that the Albanians have simultaneously begun to take precedence at the top of the Unia syndicate and that the Albanian language has also been included in the correspondence at the top of the union.

“This is already unacceptable. The official languages in Switzerland are well known,“ Jovanovic asserts.