KOSOVO SERBS LOSING PRIVILEGES FROM BELGRADE

Zëri, New Kosova Report

27 February 2009.

From the beginning of December, the Serbian Ministry of Education has decreased the salaries of the Serbian parallel education workers by 50 percent. Meanwhile, the Serbian Ministry of Education announced another 50 percent decrease of the salaries of Serbian parallel education workers starting in March of this year, which will also include the healthcare workers of the Serbian parallel institutions in central Kosovo Lipjan Municipality. The same thing applies to all the Serbian parallel institutions in Kosovo.

A Serbian education worker in the Braca Aksic Elementary School in Lipjan, who spoke under the condition of anonymity due to security reasons, stressed that he and other teachers received double salaries until December 1, 2008, which was about 750 Euros. However, after the latest salary decrease, he receives about 450 Euros.

The 50 percent decrease of the double salaries which they received from Serbia, also includes the Serbian parallel healthcare institutions which received the same benefits from the Serbian Government.

Up to now, the salaries of the Serbian parallel education workers in Kosovo were twice as big as those of their colleagues in Serbia. However, according to the Belgrade announcements, starting at the beginning of this March, there will be another salary decrease which will be at the same level of the salaries that the Serbian education workers receive in Serbia.

"According to the announcements of the Serbian Ministry of Education, there will be another 50 percent decrease starting from March of this year. This will decrease the salaries of the Serbian education workers in Kosovo to the same level as the salaries of the Serbian education workers in Serbia," the source noted for Zëri. This decrease of the salaries will include the Serbian parallel healthcare workers in Kosovo who are getting paid by the Serbian Government twice as much as the Serbian healthcare workers in Serbia.

Sources said that many Serbian education workers said that they will resign after the salary decrease that will happen in March, especially those Serbian education workers who have sold their properties in Kosovo, but still continue to live and work in Kosovo.

"There are a lot of Serbs who have sold their properties in Kosovo but they did not move to Serbia. They have rented houses in order to live and work here because of the benefits that they receive from Serbia. After the salary decrease, many of them said that it will not be worth living and working in Kosovo, and they will return to their homes in Serbia," the source said.

According to the same source, the double salaries have been the main reason why Kosovo Serbs did not want to integrate into the institutions of Kosovo, but after the salary decrease, they will be under the direction of the Kosovo institutions.

"Kosovo Serbs were held hostage by Belgrade's pressure and propaganda and because of this, they live under unsafe and severe social conditions; therefore, their patience is wearing thin and many of them are ready to integrate into Kosovo,"the source stated.

Based on the privileges that they had through their salaries received from Belgrade, the Kosovo Serbs had good living standards. They also worked less. Braca Aksic Elementary School in Lipjan was constructed with the Kosovo Government's money, but the students there learn with Serbia's education program. Only 58 students go to this school, but there are 85 workers in this school, 60 of which are teachers.

The truth is that there is a new thing concerning the signing of this year's contracts for the Serb workers. The spokesman in the Lipjan Municipal Assembly, Hasan Luma, said that, "So far this year, 60 Kosovo Serb education workers have signed their work contracts. According to Hasan Luma, this means that the Serbian minority workers have begun to understand the new reality in Kosovo and that "they should work together in all the Kosovo state institutions."