Ferizaj Roundtable Conclusion: Construction, Most Sensitive Sector for Employees

Ferizaj, 8 May 2019 – Failure to comply with the necessary workplace safety and health measures has become a concerning phenomenon in Kosovo, especially in the construction sector. Only in the first four months of this year, four workers have died and more than 25 have suffered injuries at their workplaces. According to the Deputy Chief Inspector of Labor Inspectorate in Kosovo, Agim Millaku, taking adequate measures to protect their employees is also in the interest of employers. “In case of an accident, the damages incurred to the employer are far greater than the savings he tried to make by not providing the necessary equipment for the protection of workers,” said Millaku at a roundtable on Importance of Workplace Safety held with businesses and non-governmental organizations of Ferizaj.

At the event, Besnik Berisha, Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Welfare, stated that an open social dialogue between businesses and employees is indispensable to reduce the rate of injuries and fatal accidents at the workplace.

“We have pledged to increase the number of inspectors this year and I believe that we will have 20 new inspectors by the end of the year. We also aim to increase the number of inspections, strengthen the capacities of the Labour Inspectorate and organize awareness campaigns in the field of working conditions,” said Berisha.

According to the Law on Safety and Health at Work, each company with over 50 employees is required to have at least one workplace health and safety assessment expert. To this end, Bekim Doli, a workplace health and safety expert, encouraged Kosovar companies to invest more in safety equipment and employee training in order to eliminate workplace hazards.

“Construction is an activity characterized by frequent, daily injuries, and their number is getting higher. Construction is the sector with the largest number of injuries and deaths resulting from lack of safety which is caused by lack of employee training and non-compliance with basic workplace safety rules,” said Doli.

This roundtable was organized under the “Support for Communication in the European Integration Process” project funded by the European Union Office in Kosovo, in cooperation with the Ministry of European Integration.

Last modified: August 8, 2022