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Albanian bus and taxi workers’ union stages weekly protest rallies
7 May 2008
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Transport workers in Albania are holding weekly rallies in protest over the government’s unwillingness to discuss key concerns and negotiate a settlement with the union representing them.
Bus and taxi workers, members of the ITF-affiliated Independent Trade Union of Transport of Albania (ITUT), began holding the weekly protests on Wednesday 30 April after rallies on 9 and 23 April failed to prompt a response from the government. The union is demanding the government discuss an agreement with bus and taxi workers as well as a way forward on a number of key issues. These include concerns regarding illegal taxi services, which have been operating since 1998 with a devastating impact on legitimate bus and taxi services. As part of measures to deal with this, the union is demanding that bus terminals be built – there are currently no proper bus terminals in any city in Albania. It also wants to see bus and taxi licences run for five years, rather than for between one and three years as is currently the case, and a taskforce established to help stamp out illegal operators.
The ITF, which is backing the union – it has written several letters of protest to the Albanian authorities – has called for the government to enter into social dialogue with the union.
Erkida Gjoroveni, ITUT Chief of Foreign Affairs and Organization, commented: “Our national congress has decided that we continue our protest every Wednesday, until the government takes our issues seriously. So far there has been no response from the government or from the local authorities. But we have decided to continue our action.”
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