May 1 is widely known as International Workers' Day. Apart from the fact that it is a day where people express gratitude for the dedicated work of employees in various industries, it is also a day that inspires employees to protest and demand better working conditions, higher pay and equality at work.
Teachers' protest
In front of the Ministry of Education, some of the teachers have made a peaceful protest, to ask for better salaries. With placards in their hands, the teachers marched from the National Museum to the Ministry of Education.
The employee unions called for the words of the teachers to be heard: "Implement the collective contract. Fund public education. Without public education funding, we do not have quality education. We will escalate the movement with protests to partial and general strikes", said the representatives of the Independent Education Union and the Federation of Education Unions.
The teachers also raised the issue of transportation to schools and demanded compensation at the end of the school year.
"We have improved the guidelines for covering transportation, but let's not forget that the amount that teachers pay every day does not match what they are compensated for. Payment during the summer is not given because teachers are required to fill out documentation. A necessary budget for the teacher's reward at the end of the year", they said.
Protests for workers' rights in factories
The Union of Trade Unions of Albania and the Albanian Coalition for Rights at Work also protested about working conditions in various sectors. On the banners that read "Dignity for workers", the representatives of the trade unions underlined that the working conditions in the factories are difficult.
"Today we are talking about workers' rights in shoe and clothing factories, have you ever been there? Have you asked those women, have you asked them if they get the minimum wage? We are talking about a minimum wage when Europe, even the Balkans, is talking about a quality wage, which allows you to pay the doctor at the end of the month, the basket of quality food, not expired food on offer in markets. For women, let's stop talking about the minimum wage, but let's talk about the fair wage", said one of the participants in the protest.
Protests for the departure of young people
Another protest was also held for the mass departure of young people from the country. Through banners and suitcases symbolizing the flight of young people to secure a living and to work and contribute abroad, union representatives called for an emphasis on the departure of the new generation, as well as mentioned the issue of corruption.
