“Government, companies, it’s getting late—wake up or goodbye!” – this was the chant heard on May 1st in the streets of Pristina, where the Federation of Technical Workers of Kosovo’s Private Sector staged a protest on International Workers’ Day.

The head of the union, Jusuf Azemi, delivered strong criticism toward the country’s institutions, declaring that private sector workers in Kosovo are being treated like slaves—treatment that, according to him, is almost nonexistent elsewhere in Europe. He emphasized that it’s time for institutions and companies to wake up, or they will face serious social and economic consequences.

During the protest, workers demanded an increase in the minimum wage in the private sector to 600 euros, the signing of a collective agreement, health insurance for workers, and the establishment of a Labor Court to address disputes and legal violations in the workplace. One protester, Hafije Statovci, said that with current wages, survival is barely possible. She highlighted that many workers still earn only 230 euros a month—a sum which, in her words, “doesn’t let you die, but doesn’t let you live with dignity either.”

According to the latest data from the Kosovo Tax Administration, the average gross salary in the country is 702 euros. However, many private sector workers earn significantly less. This sector remains the largest employer in the country, with over 300,000 employees, yet their treatment continues to raise concerns.

On this symbolic day, the Kosovo Institute of Justice (IKD) also issued a statement, saying that May 1st finds Kosovo burdened with long-standing problems: workplace deaths, outdated legislation, and dysfunctional institutions. The IKD criticized the Government and the Parliament for their lack of concrete commitment in the social field. According to the institute, fundamental laws such as the Labor Law, the Law on Occupational Safety and Health, and the Law on the Labor Inspectorate have either been removed from the legislative agenda or left unaddressed, reflecting a clear lack of progress and political will.