Gathered this Tuesday in front of the prime minister’s office, citizens in support of pensioners as well as a group of their representatives called for everyone to join this cause.

“We call on every citizen and pensioner to join tomorrow’s protest, at 10:00 a.m. in front of the prime minister’s office. Albanian pensioners are the poorest in Europe. We don’t have proper health care and we lack many other rights. We firmly ask the government to meet our basic demands,” said Vladimir Dushniku, a pensioner.

In support of the pensioners are also activists of the “Joint Movement”, who requested that the government consider the adoption of the law on the living minimum.

“We think that the pensioners should take back the contribution they made to the construction of this country. They have also sacrificed their health. The government should consider the adoption of the law on the living minimum”. There should be dignity for the pensioner, and for all of us”, said Mirela Ruko, representative of the Joint Movement.

On the other hand, ex-miners demand miner status and increased pensions.

“We insistently demand the miner’s status and the minimum wage, because the policy has put the pickaxe on all the state property, and they have turned all that was built into private property. This is the fault of politics. The political class calls to mind. The people who will not fall on the necks of the reeds who have them in migration protest here tomorrow, let’s ask them for our rights”, said Qani Shino, a former miner.

The 4.1 indexation of pensions by the government has angered pensioners. They say that they will continue the protests until their basic demands are met.