INTERVIEW WITH HAJRULAH GORANI

Pristina Dec 10, 1994

Summary: The introductory statement presented at the fifth Assembly of the Union of Independent Trade Unions of Kosovo, by the President of this trade union organization, Hajrulah Gorani, made quite a commotion among the local population. In his report, the President severely criticized the lack of coordination between this Trade Union and the most influential party of Albanians from Kosovo, the Democratic Union of Kosovo (DUK).In his criticism he did not bypass the president of the Party, Mr. Ibrahim Rugova. As Gorani pointed out, Rugova was actually only called upon to explain the "irresponsible behaviour of some of the members of the DUK, and the reasons behind the lack of cooperation and coordination." The written resignations of its vice-presidents were assessed by Gorani as normal changes among the ranks of the aleadership or else the arrival of new personalities with new programmes. The Belgrade press, in particular, sized up this so called "incident" as a split in the UNION of Independent Trade Unions and as Gorani's separation from his former collegues. However, here is what Gorani had to say in connection with such insinuations:

An Interview with Hajrulah Gorani

Hajrulah Gorani, the President of the Union of Independent Trade Unions of Kosovo, instituted four years ago, at a time when an extremely large number of Albanians workers were layed off, is one of the initiators of workers' peaceful protests and of other activities directed primarily at international trade union organizations and related associations. He is the president of an association which organized in the most critical period of time humanitarian aid for the most vulnerable groups. His motto, aimed primarily at the Serbian authorities is: " We are for dialogue, what about YOU?" On the political scene of Kosovo he is considered well known for his "controversial" statements and "leftist" stands. After quite some time, he is once again in the limelight of attention following the Assembly of this trade union organization, when he openly presented his views regarding the relationship between the Trade Unions and the political parties.

AIM: What are the reactions of the current authorities regarding the activities of this trade union organization?

GORANI: As could be expected. We are a legal and legitimate organization, and a registered one at that. We held a congress and five assemblies, we have a democratically and legally elected leadership and although our organization is registered, the authorities, at their discretion, recognize us one moment and beat upon us the next. I believe we are a unique organization, one into the headquarters of which the police comes in whenever it wishes, confiscates our materials, just as it confiscated two computers and a typing machine and all our documents which were completely public anyway.

AIM: Considering that your trade union organization is a member of a number of international trade union associations, have they responded in any way to your problems with the current Serbian authorities, and if they have, in what way?

GORANI: We are not a member of international trade union organizations, but rather these organizations recognize us as a democratic trade union. We enjoy a very significant level of solidarity of all the West European trade unions. They have accepted us as a democratically organized trade union, the goals of which are the protection of workers'rights and trade union freedoms. That is how their solidarity is manifested. There has been some specific aid, although symbolical, but it does serve to prove that international trade union organizations and national trade unions accept and support us.

AIM: Although the results of your organization's activities are evident, the fact cannot be denied that there has been a standstill in the last four years, at least in respect to the situation in Kosovo. What then are your efforts, or rather, your activities based upon?

GORANI: We are on the spot and we do actually represent the interests of the workers. Many may find that very difficult to understand - namely, how can a trade union exist when more than 70-80 percent of the membership is no longer employed?! You know, it is quite clear that someone becomes a member of the trade union if that person can have some benefit from being a member, if the organization protects their worker's rights and fights for trade union freedoms. That however is not the case in our midst. Therefore, the trade union exists as a symbol of resistance, opposition to the discrimination of workers which has been condemned in all international conventions. We also defend the rights of our workers in international organizations, so that the International Labour Confederation after having reviewed the overall sitution during the visit of their commission to Kosovo, issued a publication providing evidence of ethnic cleansing in the field of employment. The International Labour Confederation lodged a complaint against the former SFRY regarding the violation of workers rights and their freedoms. The International Labour Confederation reviewed that document and the complaint and at one of its session (in mid 1992) brought a Resolution on the violation of workers'rights and trade union freedoms, stating however, that since the former SFRY had no successor the complaint could not be addressed to anyone in particular. Otherwise, another factor that confirms the fact that we really do represent a democratic organization within the International Labour Confederation is the official participation of our representatives at the session of this organization held in May of this year in Geneva within the framework UN activities, as a non-governmental delegation.

AIM: At the last assembly of the UNION of Independent Trade Unions of Kosovo, you criticized the Democration Union of Kosovo, since the time, as you pointed out, of its institution. Does that mean that no coordination existed whatsoever between the activities of the trade union and some specific parties in Kosovo, considering that trade union problems are closely connected with political ones?

GORANI: The substance of the matter is that we are an organization of independent trade unions as opposed to previous trade unions which were only an instrument of the ruling party and party of the state. We have chosen the way of independent trade unions. As a matter of fact we do not insist that our activities be fully in line with those of political parties, however, since we and those political parties are an opposition front in respect to all the forms of discrimination that exist in Kosovo, it would be logical for these organizations to harmonize and coordinate their activities in some way. Of course they in the Democratic Union of Kosovo did not understand to the full our struggle against discrimination, something I believe that was quite detrimental for the workers that were layed off on a mass scale - considering that 70 percent of our membership lost their jobs owing to such discriminatory decisions.

AIM: The criticism you voiced did not exclude the leader of the Kosovo Albanians, Mr. Ibrahim Rugova. What was your basic grievance regarding his actions?

GORANI: No, there was actually no direct reproach regarding President Ibrahim Rugova. However, he actually was called upon to clarify all the events in the background of certain misunderstandings, namely, lack of coordination and irresponsible behaviour of some members of his party. In other words, president Rugova was not directly criticized, that is, accused. I wish to say that his work has not been criticized, but rather he was called upon to clarify some misunderstandings and some iarresponsible statements made in some circles of the Democratic Union of Kosovo.

AIM: On the other hand, some circles and individuals rather harshly criticized you activities to date. What would your answer be to swuch accusations?

GORANI: My God it would really be absurd if there were no complaints addressed to the trade union. As the president of the trade union organization and of the Assembly I did as much as I could and knew how to assert our movement and to sensitize our public opinion, in particular international trade union organizations and movements, in order to mobilize them and draw their attention to the problem of protecting workers rights and trade union freedoms. Actually, there were no specific comments regarding my work, although no one can be exempted from criticism and verbally I can be reproached for some very specific things, but I would like to know exactly what my mistakes have been!?

AIM: After the electoral assembly, there were some comments regarding the electoral procedure in the UNION. It has been mentioned that according to your Statute the president and the leadership of the Union can be elected only by the Congress?

GORANI: Ever since the first Assembly of the Union of independent trade unions, when the leadership was elected because it was impossible to do so at the Congress as the police broke it up,to the time of convening the fifth Assembly, four years elapsed, so that the term of office for the majority of the leadership officers expired. It had been agreed to go on to the fifth electoral assembly at which the leadership would be elected on the basis of the democratic delegation of authority. My esteemed collegues, Aziz Abrasi, Burhan Kavaja, Saban Keljmendi and Agim Fetahu presented written requests not to be taken into consideration for any possible positions.

AIM: Precisely because of that, can there be mention of a crisis in the trade union organization or is it only an issue of personnel changes within this organization?

GORANI: You see, the trade union organization should function and be operational. Nothing can be worse than stagnation. The fact that new people have come does not imply a crisis in the trade union organization. It is a matter of processes in the course of which new people have appeared with fresh ideas which they wish to operationalize, and I do not see competition as a crisis. If there is new personnel with more effective and better programmes, why should that be interpreted as a crisis? Likewise, changes in some political organizations have been taken as divisions and splits, while I hold that competition is at stake and the arrival of new people on the political scene.

AIM: Immediately after your Assembly, the newspaper BUJKU brought the reaction of the Stari Trg miners'trade union, in which they distincly disassociated themselves from the stands presented in your report and especially from some of its parts which pertain to the Democratic Union of Kosovo and electoral procedure applied at the Assembly.

GORANI: Yes I saw those comments, but I believe it is in the democratic spirit for someone to disagree with someone else. Why would that be so tragic? It is part of democratic life for people to agree or disagree on various issues. That is not a matter for concern. In our midst people still suffer from the syndromes of totalitarianism and unison opinion. If reorganization, change or competition are in sight, it is taken as something tragic. These changes should not be considered so narrowmindedly or treated as splits or divisions.

AIM: Some of your collegues even stated that the views your presented at the Assembly are not the views of the UNION and its membership, but rather your personal views?

GORANI: The report, and especially the views presented in my statement are not the deliberations of the UNION, but rather of the President of the UNION. We in the trade union leadership have such an organizational set up which includes an Executive Committee and its president, a vice-president in charge of economic issues, a vice-president in charge of organizational issues, a secretary general and the president of the Assembly who is responsible to the Assembly. I never implicated in any way that the report was their report too. We do not have collective responsibility, we do not have a central committee or any committee behind which we can hide. It is a matter of personal responsibility, and when I presented my report to the Assembly that did not mean that everyone agreed with the views presented in it.

AIM: However, only a few days after the Assembly, when you met with the press, some considered your statements more moderate than those presented at the Assembly? Does that imply in any way a change in your stands?

GORANI: It is a matter or inaccurate interpretation and assessment. Actually, a consequence of my views presented both in the Report at the Assembly and at the press conference. I said in the report that there was no coordination between our work and that of the political parties, especially the Democratic Union of Kosovo, which was rather indifferent in respect to some vital issues. I always promoted and recognized the programme of the Democratic Union of Kosovo, and at the press conference I said that I appreciated the welcoming address of one of the leaders of the DUK, as well as the congratulations I received on my election, including the offer and promise that our activities would be better coordinated in the future, which is precisely what I expect. My Report contained only a reprimand for the lack of coordination in our work. If our activities can be coordinated so much the better. It cannot be said that I had changed my stands, and as you know my Report, was, with some comments, unanimously accepted at the Assembly.

AIM: What should, in your opinion, be done in order for your trade union organization to be more effective?

GORANI: That is a complex question. It is a question of our survival. We do not have a source of financing. Our workers are in jeopardy, both financially and in every other way without the possibility to pay their membership dues. Therefore and firstly, we do not have the required financial means and our work is based only the sense of responsibility that this organizatiron should exist and continue with its work and with the maintenance of constant links with international and national trade union organizations and movements. We should organize ourselves better, so that our organizatiron can be more efficient and simple in structure. Simple, since we cannot organize services which would come to our aid through scientific research results or professional advice, as we cannot finance such activities. However, precisely because of that the organization should be much closer to the worker and should identify any form of discrimination. Likewise, it should maintain contacts with our friends from national organizations, among other things, because there is no trade union organization in Europe which does not support us, including the International Trade Union Confederation itself. The work of the organizatiron should be simplified and at the same time intensified.

AIM: To what extent does the effectiveness of your work depend on the relationship with the local political parties?

GORANI: Party organizations do not have to be opposed to trade union organizations, since in some situations our views are identical, although the programme of our trade union does not include the taking over of power. However, we do exert some influence through our programme, primarily in order for those that are in power to be as beneficical to the workers as possible. In my opinion there is no room for confrontation between political parties and trade unions, but perhaps it is a syndrome, a form of inertia left over from the totalitarian regime in which the trade unions necessarily had to be only instruments of party authority, regardless of which party. We have our programme, and if there is common ground, then we can cooperate with specific political organizations. We want the worker to be free and his trade union freedoms to be fully respected. I do not see why those political parties which acccept what is evidently in the domain of workers' rights as well as trade union freedoms should not cooperate with us.

Astrit SALIHU, AIM Pristina