Minister of the Interior

Conseil Européen des Syndicats de Police

Organisation Internationale Non Gouvernementale au Conseil de l’Europe

RE: SEC. GEN. N°161 Lyons, April 16th 2014

Subject: situation of the Albanian Police

Mr. Minister of the Interior,

The European Council of Police Unions (CESP) is an international non-governmental organization, sitting at the Council of Europe, whose members are Police Associations and Unions of 20 European Countries. Its objective is to defend the interests and the rights, namely social rights, of its members, using all the means that Law, Collective agreements and dialogue provide.
Secretary – General of CESP, I solicit you today concerning the situation of the Police forces in Albania, specifically the unionized Police forces and their representatives.
I have been indeed seized by our member the Sindikata Punonjesve te Policise Shtetit (SPP SH) regarding several violations of collective agreement organizing relations between the Police Unions and their Direction, namely Mr. Arta DIDI, new General Director of Albanian Police.
These violations are the following ones:
– Dismissal of over 350 Police employees by the Direction of the Police without any negotiation with the unions, the only reason being « organization change », in violation of point 11 of the last paragraph of collective agreements of Albanian Police.
– Dismissal of union representatives without any negotiation, in violation of 12 point 7 of collective agreements of Albanian Police and of article 184 point 5 of the Labour Code of the Republic of Albania.
Mr. Saimir TAHIRI
Minister i Brendshem
So far, the Courts often ruled in favour of our colleagues, with an important limit: despite the fact some of our colleagues have received compensations, they haven’t been reintegrated in their positions.
Numerous cases are still under study and submitted to the Albanian Courts. Lawyers and Ombudsmen consider this painful question of a body that must defend the Inner security if its country, while feeling sometimes unsupported, even neglected by its authorities.
Previously, an important work has been done, in mutual understanding between the Direction of the State Police and the Police Unions, including the redaction of the Study Report writing, related on the financial treatment of Police employees. On this occasion, the CESP collaborated with ICITAP and PAMECA. This Report has led to a significant improvement of the wages of Police lower and intermediate grades employees. This experience made us acutely aware on the Albanian Police reorganization and allows us to hope today a positive answer to our interpellation.
CESP follows with the utmost attention the progress of this case, and will inform the European and international authorities, especially in the framework of special procedures for the examination in the International Labour Organization of complaints alleging violations of Freedom of Association.
Mr. Minister of the Interior, you are one of the most important players in this current situation: the Inner security depends also of the condition the Police employees are living with. We worked a lot in various countries, and our conviction is when security forces ‘social rights are not respected, there is no reason for the population to play a democratic game with its authorities, no reason for external bodies, such as the European Union and the Council of Europe to increase their confidence in your government, though Albania has signed the European Social Charter.
I really urge you to consider with great care your Police employees and their union representatives ‘situation, as guarantors of Inner security, without which reforms cannot occur in optimal conditions
Looking forward to reading you on this important subject, permit me, Mr. Minister of the Interior, to assure you of my highest esteem.
Gérard GRENERON
Secrétaire Général du CESP