Kosovo - Private sector non-unionised (2012)

In spite of the Labour Law, which came into force on 1 January 2011, and the Law on Union Organisation adopted in July 2011, the private sector remains almost completely non-unionised. Weak law enforcement and the lack of effective protection by the courts mean that workers continue to be threatened with dismissals or other forms of anti-union discrimination if they join a union. Violations of workers’ rights have increased in recent years, after the privatisation of state-owned companies began. Around 30% of all employees are employed in the informal economy, without any guarantee of even the most fundamental workers’ rights.