Workers in Kosovo’s private sector continue to face numerous challenges that directly affect their social well-being and economic security. Although the private sector is the country’s largest employer and plays a central role in economic development, a significant number of workers continue to work in unfavorable conditions, earn low wages, and have limited opportunities for professional advancement.
The rising cost of living in recent years has made it increasingly difficult for many families to cover basic expenses, while wages in many sectors have failed to keep pace. In addition, there are reports of unpaid overtime, failure to respect annual leave entitlements, and violations of rights guaranteed under national labor legislation.
Another major concern is workplace safety, particularly in the construction and manufacturing sectors, where accidents remain a serious issue. At the same time, the limited number of inspections and incomplete enforcement of labor laws make it more difficult to effectively protect workers.
There are also multiple forms of discrimination in the labor market, including discrimination against women. In addition to facing low wages and unpaid overtime, women often encounter obstacles in exercising their maternity leave rights, and are sometimes forced to choose between their careers and family life. Women in Kosovo also face discrimination in job recruitment based on so-called “aesthetic standards.”
Kosovo faces a lack of trade union organization. At the national level, there are only 17 trade union organizations. Institutionally, the Central Labor Inspectorate provides a mechanism through which workers can report violations of their rights.
Reporting violations made easy and safe
The root of many of these problems is that many workers are not aware of their rights and do not know the Central Labor Inspectorate is responsible for protecting them when their rights are violated. In other words, workers do not know that they can file a complaint.
To address this, we launched the IdeoNgritja platform, through which workers can report violations online.
The name IdeoNgritja is a combination of two words that do not formally exist in the dictionary: “Ide,” referring to an idea for justice and “Ngritja” — referring to putting that idea into action. There can be no action without an idea, and no idea can become reality without action. The two elements are inseparable if a cause is to succeed.
In Kosovo today, there may be no more important cause than protecting thousands of private-sector workers from discrimination and abuse. Some business owners still view workers as merely a means of generating capital and maximizing profits.
Perhaps those employers are not aware that before they are employees of a company, these workers are citizens of the state, whom the state has an obligation to protect.
The aim of the platform is to raise workers’ awareness so that they do not accept discrimination in the workplace as something normal or inevitable, but instead report it. For this reason, we will share our platform’s address throughout the city, so that more workers understand that their voices can be heard.
Launching further investigations
Through the IdeoNgritja platform, workers will have the opportunity to share their stories and report violations they experience in the workplace, anonymously and with their identities protected. But a story will not remain simply a complaint published online. It will serve as a starting point for further investigation.
Journalists Besnik Boletini and Sefer Zogaj will analyze and verify cases reported through the platform by contacting workers and collecting available evidence and documentation. Cases that are found to be in the public interest will be subject to further investigation and developed into journalistic articles.
The process will also involve consultations with relevant institutions, trade unions, chambers of commerce, experts, and other relevant stakeholders. The goal is therefore not simply to tell a story, but to document a problem and seek accountability.
Publishing an article will not mark the end of our engagement. On the contrary, it will only be the first step. In cooperation and coordination with workers, cases involving potential violations of labor rights may be referred to the competent institutions, including the Central Labor Inspectorate. This institution is responsible for overseeing the implementation of legislation governing employment relations, as well as occupational safety and health.
The selection of cases will be based on workers’ willingness to take their cases to the relevant institutions.
In this way, IdeoNgritja aims to create a complete chain: The worker speaks, the journalist investigates, the institutions respond, and violations are pursued. In this process, the worker is not treated merely as a source of information for an article, but as the person at the center of an effort to protect their rights.
Because the goal is not simply for workers to speak. The goal is for them to know that their voices carry weight, that violations can be documented, and that there are mechanisms through which accountability can be sought.
