Program
- Program
//OUR PROJECT
Protecting and Promoting Labour Rights of Vulnerable Groups in the Labour Market
The Advocacy Training and Resource Center (ATRC) and its partner Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN) implement the project to protect labor rights of vulnerable groups in Kosovo, including workers in need of protection, women, youth, non-majority ethnic communities, and people with disabilities; develop capacities of duty-bearers, including judges, prosecutors, police, journalists, and CSOs; and promote labor rights in Kosovo by working jointly with key institutions, including Justice Institutions (the Courts, State Prosecutor, Police, and Ombudsperson), Labour Inspectorate and Tax Administration. This program is funded by the European Union Office in Kosovo and will be implemented by the 31st of December 2023.
The program has five 7 key beneficiary groups:
1. Employees in the public and private sector;
2. Employers from the public and private sector;
3. Justice Institutions (the Courts, State Prosecutor, Police);
4. Local Civil Society organizations;
5. Journalists;
6. Human rights activists;
7. Potential future employees.
The program has 3 key objectives:
1. To strengthen compliance with labor laws through direct monitoring and reporting of labor rights abuse cases;
2. To strengthen the capacities of duty bearers and CSOs to work on labor rights;
3. To raise public awareness on labor law.
The overall objective of this project is to improve the working conditions for vulnerable categories of employees, notably within the private sector, including workplace health and safety for women and men, through the promotion of social dialogue between workers and duty bearers.
//IMPACT
National
Improving and enforcing national labor laws and regulations to better protect the rights of marginalized workers. Enhancing the knowledge of duty-bearers at the central level on enforcement of labor law and treating violations rights cases.
Municipality
Strengthening the awareness of duty-bearers through promotion of diversity in the local workforce, creating a more culturally rich and dynamic environment.
Community
Raising awareness of the community on labor rights for work conditions and rights in the workplace.
Individual
Improving knowledge of employees on reporting labor rights violations cases.
//KEY ACHIEVEMENTS January 2023 - October 2023
// ATRC's Added Value
- ATRC focuses on building capacities of duty bearers, journalists, CSOs and other potential workers.
- All project design and implementation are done in close coordination with the Labor Inspectorate and Tax Administration in Kosovo.
- Activities of promoting labor rights are implemented by grantees, who are trusted in the community and have a thorough understanding of local needs and opportunities regarding labor market.
- ATRC and its consortium members of labor rights are closely working and connecting with the government for changes into labor laws.
// Key Activities
- Development of a special section of the KALLXO.com platform to report “Violations of Labour Rights”;
- Organizing joint inspections with the Tax Administration of Kosovo (TAK) and the Labour Inspectorate;
- Monitoring citizens’ reports of labor rights violations in relevant institutions:
- Organizes a three-day workshop on labor rights in Kosovo;
- Training for 20 duty bearers to strengthen their capacities on working with labor rights violation cases;
- Provide workshops for journalists on reporting on labor rights and violations;
- Interviewing 50 businesses, 20 employees (people with disabilities, ethnic minorities, women, youth) and analyze the level of implementation of the law;
- Carrying out a social media campaign;
- Establishing a Consortium of CSOs to advocate for changes in the Labor law;
- Organizing information sessions on labor law in Kosovo municipalities;
- Provide up to 20 awards from the sub-granting scheme, amounting between EUR 5,000 and EUR 10,000 for unions, CSOs, lawyer groups and other registered groups (entities) to promote labor rights, report violations, conduct research, and engage in social dialogue with public authorities.
Handikos Mitrovica, Region of Mitrovica
Project Title: Being a person with disabilities in the labor market
Project Location: Mitrovica
Project Duration: 4 months
Thematic: Labor rights of the persons with disabilities in the labor market in Mitrovica
Project Goal: The main goal of this project was the develop a research report “Being a person with disabilities in the labor market”. This report present in detail the situation of persons with disabilities in the labor market in the region of Mitrovica.
NGO ZANA, Kline
Project Title: Labor rights and social responsibility
Project Location: Kline
Project Duration: 6 months
Thematic: Identification of the most frequent violation of the rights of workers, especially women, at the workplace in the municipalities of Klinë and Istog.
Project Goal: The goal of this project was to draft a research report on situation of labor rights in private sector in the municipality of Klina and Istog.
KOMS, Pristina
Project Title: Health at Work
Project Location: Gjilan, Mitrovica, Prishtina
Project Duration:5 months
Thematic: Raising awareness toward the health of the miners specifically, the respiratory system.
Project Goal: The project goal was to report the health status of miners. Reporting the use of protective equipment during work (regulated by law), providing health examination and consultation for miners, raising awareness of risk factors at work for this target group and accurately reflecting their health status.
Institute for Research and Human Rights, Pristina
Project Title: Increasing awareness and benefits from formal employment in the hygiene maintenance sector
Project Location: Pristina, Podujeva, and Fushe Kosova
Project Duration: 6 months
Thematic: Increasing awareness of public and private institutions in improving working conditions for workers in the hygiene or cleaning sector.
Project Goal: The project goal was to raise awareness among employees in the hygiene maintenance sector, in the declaration of employees or self-employment, as well as respect for the working conditions that are provided by Labor Law No. 03/L-212.
Center for Psycho-Social and Medical Research – QHPSM
Project Title: (Dis) Respect of labor rights in the private sector, with a special focus on pregnant/maternity leave women’s rights
Project Location: Pristina
Project Duration: 5 months
Thematic: Raising the awareness of workers through the promotion of their rights, with special emphasis on pregnant women, who unfairly continue to be discriminated in the labor market.
Project Goal: The project goal of the project was to research and shred a light into the violation of the right to maternity leave and how the court handled those cases.
NGO Durmish Aslano, Prizren
Project Title: Emancipation of the Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian communities on labor rights in the municipality of Prizren
Project Location: Prizren
Project Duration: 4 months
Thematic: Improving the working conditions for vulnerable categories of employees, especially members of the Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian communities, emphasizing more the implementation of administrative/legal norms in relation to labor rights for this group which they are not aware of.
Project Goal: The project goal of the project was to raise awareness at Roma, Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian community on labor law.
SEED, Pristina,
Project Title: Hours, Breaks and Holiday Entitlements in the BPO sector in Kosova.
Project Location: Pristina
Project Duration: 3 months
Thematic: Identifying the labor rights violations at the BPO sector companies.
Project Goal: The goal of this project was to research the work policies of BPO companies, especially holiday entitlements and contractual schedule, and see if their practices go against the human and labor rights of their employees.
Organization for Legal and Social Research – OMNES, Pristina
Project Title: Promoting the labor rights of persons with disabilities.
Project Location: Pristina
Project Duration: 4 months
Thematic: Improving employment opportunities for persons with disabilities by empowering individuals with disabilities to start or improve their work through new skills acquired from the project.
Project Goal: Raising the capacities of people with limited abilities through their engagement in training and research that was carried out by “OMNES”, as well as identifying the challenges they face, and addressing them to the decision-making institutions.
Advocacy Center for Democratic Culture, North Mitrovica
Project Title: Advocating for a better position of pregnant women and young mothers
Project Location: North Mitrovica, Zvečan, Leposavić and Zubin Potok
Project Duration: 6 months
Thematic: Providing support to women in Kosovo by raising awareness about the importance of non-discrimination in the field of labour law, as well as identifying the attitude of citizens, primarily women, about the rights and obligations of employees.
Project Goal: The project goal was to deal with the problems of pregnant women and young mothers through the structured identification of measures, strategies, and recommendations aimed at women’s inclusion in the public and business scene, and this will be carried out through meetings and focus groups with women from the aforementioned.
Social Housing and Property Rights in Kosovo (SHPRK), Pristina
Project Title: Promotion of women’s Labour rights, during pregnancy and maternity leave
Project Location: Prishtina, Fushë Kosovë, Prizren dhe Shtërpce
Project Duration: 5 months
Thematic: Ensuring adequate knowledge for reporting violations of labor rights for women.
Project Goal: The goal of the project was to promote labor rights and labor law for women in the private sector, to provide adequate knowledge for reporting violations of labor rights to women and to strengthen and promote social dialogue.
Kosovo Association of the Blind, Pristina
Project Title: Blind people and labor market in Kosovo
Project Location: Kosovo
Project Duration: 6 months
Thematic: Mobilizing institutions and create conditions for the employment of blind persons according to the Law on training, rehabilitation and employment of PWDs, as well as the creation of better conditions to avoid discrimination and inequality in the workplace, for people with who are already employed.
Project Goal: The purpose of the “Blind persons and the labour market in Kosovo” initiative was to shed light on the employment status and opportunities for blind individuals and promote equal treatment in society.
Kosovo Glocal /Kosovo 2.0 (K2.0), Pristina
Project Title: Enhancing public support for the protection of workers.
Project Location: Kosovo
Project Duration: 10 months
Thematic: Strengthen the interest and ability of the public to individually and collectively protect labour rights in Kosovo.
Project Goal: The project goal was to shed light on the safety and other work conditions by producing in-depth, independent, multimedia and journalistic content the workers rights.
Ngo LIZA-R, Ferizaj
Project Title: Together for the welfare of private sector workers!
Project Location: Gjilan, Kamenice, Viti
Project Duration: 7 months
Thematic: Promotion and protection of labor rights of marginalized groups and advocacy to the relevant institutions for implementation of the Labor Law.
Project Goal: The project goal was to build capacity through activities engaging multiple stakeholders and citizens, these include trainings, public discussions, information sessions, and an advocacy campaign.
Economic Bulletin, Pristina
Project Title: Discrimination and exclusion: Violations of workers’ rights in different sectors in Kosovo
Project Location: Kosovo
Project Duration: 10 months
Thematic: Increase general awareness about violations of workers’ rights in order to influence decision-makers to take actions and be proactive in complying with Kosovo labor legal frame, in order to improve the working conditions in particular and well-being of citizens in general.
Project Goal: The goal of this project was to highlight the types of working discrimination and poor conditions faced in Kosovo, especially by marginalized groups such as women, youth and minorities.
Institute QIKA, Pristina
Project Title: Equality in the workplace, regardless of gender
Project Location: Pristina, Gjakova, Prizren, Podujeva, and Mitrovica
Project Duration: 10 months
Thematic: Increasing the awareness of women employed in the private sector about forms of gender-based discrimination in workplaces, as well as reporting violations to the responsible institutions.
Project Goal: The project goal was to promote awareness and advocate for labor rights, particularly for marginalized women.
NGO Dragash, Pristina
Project Title: Protection and promotion of the rights of workers of vulnerable groups in the labor market in Dragash
Project Location: Dragash
Project Duration: 6 months
Thematic: Gender equality, promotion of equal labor market opportunities and treatment at work; and protection and promotion of the labor rights of ethnic minorities
Project Goal: The project goal was that through the selected activities and the pragmatic approach combining capacity building, stakeholder involvement and media utilization to make an even greater impact, this project has served as an umbrella for all young men and women in the municipality of Dragash advocating for gender equality, promotion of equal labour market opportunities and treatment at work as well as protection and promotion of labor rights for young people from the Goran and Boshjak community.
Movement FOL, Pristina
Project Title: Workers, the law protects you.
Project Location: Kosovo: Gjakova, Gjilan, Kamenice, Peja, Prizren, Suhareka, Vushtri
Project Duration: 7 months
Thematic: Promoting the Law on Labour and the Law in Protection of Whistle-blowers in Kosovo, among private sector companies.
Project Goal: This project goal was to use a variety of activities that directly contribute to the increasing of the implementation of the new law on Protection of Whistle-blowers in Kosovo as well as the Law on Labor.
Future Development Centre – FDC, Pristina
Project Title: Increasing the awareness of workers and employers about protective measures in the workplace
Project Location: Gjilan and Pristina
Project Duration: 7 months
Thematic: Promotion of protective measures related to safety and health in the workplace in the construction sector and other productive sectors in the region of Pristina and Gjilan
Project Goal: The purpose of the project was to increase the awareness of employers and workers regarding the role and importance of safety and health measures at work.
Pro Consulting Services, Ferizaj
Project Title: Right to Work, Safety at Work
Project Location: Ferizaj
Project Duration: 7 months
Thematic: Raising awareness of construction employees of their rights at work based on the law in force, the obligations that the employer has towards them regarding the creation of working conditions specially regarding safety and health at work, their rights with the preceding articles of the Law on Safety and Health at Work, information about the legal ways for the creation of the employment relationship, improving conditions at workplaces regarding safety and health at work including all Personal Protective Equipment and conditions which should be provided by the employer
Project Goal: Promoting labor rights under construction based on Labor Law No.03/L-212 and also increasing Safety and Health at work for Construction employees
NGO Divine Women, Pristina
Project Title: Labor rights for all without distinction
Project Location: Gjilan and Partesh
Project Duration: 7 months
Thematic: Promotion of labour rights and labour law among the most vulnerable categories, especially in the private sector and Ensuring adequate knowledge for reporting violations of labour rights
Project Goal: The goal of this project was to acquaint employees with their rights, especially employees who do not have a higher education and who are far from information and perhaps do not have the knowledge to search for laws and guidelines that protect and regulate the rights of women workers
The main Implementer of this project: Advocacy Training and Resource Center – ATRC and the Partner: BIRN Kosovo
Donor .
