Kosovo's special units protest in front of the Government/ Unveil a series of demands

2023-12-09 13:47:17, Kosova & Bota CNA

Kosovo's special units protest in front of the Government/ Unveil a series

Members of the special units of the Kosovo Police marching towards the Kosovo Government building in Pristina, during a protest for better working conditions, December 9, 2023.

The special units of the Kosovo Police protested on Saturday near the building of the Government of Kosovo in Pristina, for the second time in about a month, calling for a general improvement of working conditions and revealing a series of other demands.

The President of the Kosovo Police Union, Imer Zeqiri, said that the demands of the police are the improvement of general working conditions, such as clothing, work tools, logistical tools, police facilities, adding that "some police facilities and vehicles as well as equipment others for the performance of tasks do not meet the minimum conditions for work".

Their protest comes about three weeks after the Government of Kosovo approved a new package of supplements for these special units and all other police units.

Part of the protest were members of the Special Intervention Unit and the Unit for Handling Explosive Devices, who had also protested on November 1.

But, Zeqiri said that they came out in protest to present the demands of all members of the police "to those who are present here and all those who are performing official duties."

He said that the union has submitted a petition to the Assembly of Kosovo with about 5,700 signatures about the dissatisfaction of the members of the police, for which it has not received an answer.

"I think that the protest is comprehensive, we have many units. It is a combination of all units," he said.

He said that the union has submitted a petition to the Assembly of Kosovo with about 5,700 signatures about the dissatisfaction of the members of the police, for which it has not received an answer.

We are ready to talk and we hope that the Government of Kosovo will understand this and invite us to a meeting to find a solution.

He emphasized that 86 police officers resigned "voluntarily" from the Kosovo Police in 2023 alone, mainly due to dissatisfaction.

About two weeks after the November 1 protest, the Government of Kosovo made a decision to approve additional dangerousness allowances for members of the Kosovo Police.

For the elite units, namely the Special Intervention Unit, the Rapid Intervention Unit and the Close Protection Unit, the allowances will be 150 euros above the basic salary, she said on November 16.

Meanwhile, for the Unit for Explosives and Demining, she said that she allocated extras in the amount of 120 euros. Additions were also approved for all other police units.

After the approval, the prime minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, said that the categorization and value of the allowances was done with special care, taking into consideration all the factors related to the work and responsibilities of the Kosovo Police.

"We are and will continue to remain committed to improving the working conditions and equipment for the Kosovo Police, so that, in addition to facilitating work, we can influence the reduction of risk while performing duties and responsibilities," said Kurti on 16 november

Risk allowances, according to Kurti, began to be applied from the November salary.

Kosovo police salaries start from 210 euros per month for police cadets, and reach over 1,500 euros per month for the general director.

Formed 24 years ago, the Kosovo Police has over 9,000 members with different ranks.

They have neither health nor life insurance.