Acting Prime Minister Albin Kurti marked International Workers’ Day by criticizing the opposition for not voting in favor of the government’s anti-inflation package and for, as he said, boycotting the presidential election and sending the country to elections.
While extending his greetings to all workers, Kurti said that according to international trade union reports, workers’ rights were significantly weakened worldwide during 2025, adding that Kosovo could not be an exception to this global reality.
We introduced a 13th salary for public sector workers. For the first time since Kosovo’s declaration of independence, the state concretely recognized the continued contribution of its employees. We have called and continue to call on the private sector to follow this example, because fair compensation and greater care for workers should not be a privilege reserved only for the public sector.
We launched and expanded the Superpuna program, which subsidizes wages in the private sector for six months and creates a structured pathway for young people into the formal labor market. We employed more than 23,000 young men and women aged 18 to 29, benefiting around 10,500 businesses.We have also supported the employment of more than 12,000 women through state policies and direct subsidies. We are continuing with the ‘Superpuna for Women’ program, which will further help increase women’s employment.
In just three and a half years of our governance, the number of employed people has increased significantly. We found Kosovo with around 350,000 employed people, while today there are around 435,000 — an increase of approximately 85,000 jobs.
According to him, one of the main shortcomings regarding workers’ rights in the Republic of Kosovo is the lack of trade union organization in the private sector.
