Nurses who were engaged in the pandemic are protesting against the termination of their contracts

Nurses engaged with temporary contracts during the pandemic have had their work relationship terminated from June 15. Through a protest, they demanded the continuation of the contracts. If they are left without a job, they have said that their only alternative is to leave the country

Dozens of nurses who were employed with temporary work contracts during the pandemic asked the Government on Monday to extend their contracts.

They protested in "Skënderbeu" square in Pristina and called for regular contracts.

"We came out in protest because our contracts were terminated on June 15 and we came out to demand that a decision be made to return these contracts in an orderly manner, because health care needs us and mostly this absence of ours is the patient suffers. Then we had begged the prime minister to continue these contracts and make them regular. Don't open our doors to the West", said Arbenita Gashi, a nurse.

According to her, the lack of contract is pushing her and her colleagues to leave the country.

"If they don't take our request into account, then the only solution is to go to the West, to the place where we are really appreciated", said Gashi.

Even the nurse Jetullah Sullaku said that his contract was terminated without warning.

"We were not informed about the reason why our contract was not extended. We didn't get a warning that this is the time of the work stoppage and that's it. It's not like we can do anything that I know of, except protest. We are very unhappy. After all the hard work we've done for a year, it's not like we expected our contract to be terminated like this. We have been waiting for our employment to be continued for at least one year, two or even more, why not", he said.

In support of the protest was Bekim Ahmeti, sanitary inspector engaged in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. He said that 1.270 workers who have been engaged in the anti-Covid fight are ready to work if their contract is extended. Otherwise, he said that the strike remains an option.

"Even institutions have an obligation to protect public health. We are a kind of army that will protect public health. We are ready. Institutions just have to continue our contracts", said Ahmeti. "We will continue until the realization of our demands. With protests and maybe even a strike".

He said that several meetings were held with representatives of the institutions, with the aim of finding a solution, but he said that there was no positive response to the requests made.

"The last meeting was 10 days ago. We still don't have any answers... We are 125 inspectors, the Food and Veterinary Agency has only 12 inspectors, who supervise all the measures now. The Tobacco Law, the hygiene in restaurants, and the storage of food products. There are only 12 inspectors", he mentioned the figures, to argue the need for the extension of the contract.

After the complaints of these temporary employees, the Ministry of Health announced that the contracts had not been severed, but had ended and that they would not be continued.