Statistics show that Serbs south from Ibar River are absolutely discriminated when it comes to employment. Kosovo institutions and public enterprises don’t respect what their laws and Constitution provide with respect to employment claims Frankfurt based Vesti.
Law on Employment, adopted in the Kosovo parliament, which declared null and void UNMIK Regulation from 2001 on employment avoided to deal directly with the employment of minority communities in the public sector, which is most important and in some regions the only employer in Kosovo.
Statistics show that 12.243 employees worked in public sector in Kosovo in 2009, where only 91 of them were Serbs, that is 0,55 percent. Current level of their employment has reached 2,2 percent, what is ‘progress’, however far below the legal provisions, assessed director of the Center for Peace and Tolerance, Nenad Maksimovic. He says that Kosovo institutions, and representatives of Serbs in institutions are to be held responsible for such situation, because they didn’t work on implementation of the law. According to Maksimovic, they didn’t open this topic, neither in the parliament nor in the Kosovo government, they didn’t insist on implementation of the law, neither on introduction of disciplinary actions against those who refused to implement the law.
“International administration is responsible too, because it didn’t insist on fulfillment of those conditions, thus employment of Serbs, that is their discrimination with regards to employment, is not the topic of any feasibility study of the European Commission, Council of Europe’s reports on human rights or the OSCE mission. It’s neither even mentioned in the Kosovo Ombudsman’s report, nor in the reports on human rights of the Human Rights Watch and similar organizations. Government of Serbia failed too, because they didn’t highlight the problems to the UN Security Council during negotiations with the Kosovo institutions, claims Maksimovic. He reminds that another important law when it comes to employment of Serbs in public institutions and enterprises is Law on Civil Service which sets the quota of 9 percent in public institutions (police, customs, ministries), where only 4,5 percent of Serbs work. The Law provides proportional representation at all levels, however Serbs are almost not represented at all at higher levels, instead they are mainly employed in administration, despite the researches which show that they have far better level of education. Changes in this regard could only take place under the pressure exerted by the EU, and in order for it to take place our side has to insist on it, opined Maksimovic. He reminds that UNMIK Regulation from 2001 stipulated that Serbs should be represented in public enterprises proportional to the number of MPs in the Kosovo parliament, that is between 8 and 18 percent, however in reality for seven years in force it was only a dead letter on the paper.
Kosovo Minister for Return and Communities Dalibor Jevtic reminds that law on employment of non-majority communities exist, which is part of the Athisaari’s package of laws, but beside of his Ministry which staffs 32 percent (out of 10 percent prescribed by the law) members of minority communities, in practice no one else abides to it. From this reason, said Jevtic, the commission was established for which he hopes that will manage to change current situation with its mandatory recommendations.
There are several causes for such situation, one of the biggest obstacles is in fact technical problem, that is problem of University diplomas from Mitrovica. In spite the agreement reached in the frame of Brussels dialogue, certain institutions request validation of those diplomas. “Office for communities in the Cabinet of the Kosovo Prime Minister and Ministry for Return and Communities have initiated solution of the problem and I think that we’ll manage to remove that obstacle for employment of Serbs in Kosovo institutions,” said Jevtic. He added that local self-governments have no obligation to employ certain numbers of minorities like Kosovo instructions, agencies and public enterprises, instead the number of jobs for minorities should only reflect the number of citizens from the ranks of minorities.
Jevtic also stressed that it would be illusionary to expect that public administration is the only place for staffing returnees. Economic problems are, according to him, the biggest obstacle in the process of return of displaced persons. “Simply, for sustainable return and survival of Serbs in Kosovo there is a need to reinforce individuals. Subsidies, which Ministry for Return and Communities provides through its programs, are assisting in addressing those problems to great extent. There are successful and unsuccessful examples, however it is about the problem of the market and general economy. I believe that there will be more positive results in this year in comparison with previous period, after adoption of the Strategy of the Ministry,” concluded Jevtic.
