Former dissidents’ hunger strikes continues.
TIRANA, June 5 – The hunger strike of several people who had been fired from public sector jobs ended after they said they received assurances from EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fule that he would look into their grievances.
Another group, made up of former political dissidents under the communist regime, is continuing its strike to seek fast payment from the government.
Eighteen participants in the hunger strike had sought their public sector jobs back, staging a hunger strike in a park near the prime minister’s office, holding regular news conferences every day just calling on the government to reinstate them. There have been claim that some 8,000 have been fired from public sector jobs since the Socialist-led government took power, with many of those fired claiming to have been let go illegally.
Despite being illegal under Albanian law, massive firing of public sector employees accompany every shift of power in Albania, and a recent survey found many people chose the political party they for based on either trying to keep their public sector job or to get one after the election.
The strikes have had the backing of the main opposition Democratic Party, so when a group of Socialist-backed staff fired from Tirana City Hall, ran by the Democrats, tried to join the strike there was harsh debate that reached a physical confrontation, forcing police to intervene.
The strikers said that the courts had considered their firings illegal and demanded they returned to previous jobs.
Another group of 18 former politically persecuted people under the communist regime is holding another hunger strike in front of the parliament building and close to their offices. They are asking the government to make a fast payment of compensation for their year years in prison or internment.
Two years ago another group held a similar hunger strike and two of them put themselves on fire and later died for the same reason. They were also asking the government of that time to pay them fast enough.
The government now is saying they have already made the first payments of 1,000 people among them and more will continue to be done this year.
The strikes were set to coincide with an EU report on Albania’s progress to join the bloc.
