A group of ten former employees from Ora Sh.a., a media company fully state-owned and administered by Albania’s Agency for Administration of Seized and Confiscated Assets (AAPSK) have officially submitted a formal complaint to key Albanian institutions, including the Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Finance, Labor Inspectorate, and Commissioner for Protection from Discrimination. The complaint, signed by journalists and media professionals such as Isa Myzyraj, Beti Njuma, and others, outlines significant allegations concerning systematic violations of their labour rights over the past few years.
In their formal communication dated June 19, 2025, addressed directly to state authorities, the group highlights several critical concerns. First, they argue that from 2024 to 2025, Ora Sh.a. undertook a collective dismissal of approximately 80 media employees without adhering to legally required procedures outlined in the Albanian Labor Code, particularly Article 148 (collective dismissals) and Article 143 (notice periods for termination). Employees allege coercion into signing informal resignations, with their names subsequently removed immediately from employment and tax registers, violating basic legal protections and rendering these dismissals potentially unlawful and abusive.
Secondly, the complaint explicitly points to systematic non-payment of mandatory social security and health insurance contributions between 2022 and 2025, despite regular declarations and salary transfers to employees’ bank accounts. This action breaches Albania’s specific legislation on social insurance (Law No. 7703/1993) and health insurance (Law No. 10383/2011). Such violations not only impact the immediate economic and social rights of employees but reflect significantly on the credibility and administrative responsibilities of the state-administered entity.
Thirdly, the employees highlight that, Ora Sh.a. is currently undergoing bankruptcy proceedings. They express deep concern about their non-recognition as creditors, stressing the risk of permanent loss of outstanding wages, severance payments, and unpaid insurance contributions. According to Albanian bankruptcy law (Law No. 110/2016), former employees typically have priority creditor status, thus their current exclusion threatens fundamental rights guaranteed by law.
The complaint further emphasizes the clear institutional and legal responsibility of the state and AAPSK to ensure compliance with labor regulations, as outlined by Albanian Law No. 10192, which governs state-administered seized or confiscated assets. The employees claim that AAPSK has consistently failed to ensure lawful management practices, directly impacting their labour and human rights.
In parallel, the Association of Journalists of Albania (AGSH) addressed an informative letter to several international media freedom organizations, including the SafeJournalists Network, International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), Reporters Without Borders (RSF), ECPMF, SCiDEV and donors such as the EU, CoE and OSCE, and other global advocacy groups. AGSH’s letter outlines the case in detail, urging these organizations to monitor developments closely. AGSH points out that these alleged abuses present a deeply troubling precedent for labor rights within a media entity directly managed by the Albanian government.
The affected employees explicitly requested immediate institutional responses, specifically calling for:
- A comprehensive administrative investigation by Albania’s Labor Inspectorate to verify allegations of unlawful collective dismissals and labour rights violations.
- An intervention by taxation authorities and the Ministry of Finance to identify unpaid insurance contributions and ensure due compensations are paid.
- Formal recognition and registration of former employees as creditors in the ongoing bankruptcy proceedings, safeguarding their claims.
- An examination by the Commissioner for Protection from Discrimination to determine whether dismissals were influenced by subjective or discriminatory motivations, such as political stances or critical reporting.
- Institutional accountability by AAPSK for any proven administrative negligence or violations during their management period.
Implications
The significance of this case extends beyond immediate financial compensation and legal redress for affected employees. It carries implications for the adherence to labour rights and media freedoms in Albania. If the allegations are substantiated, it will highlight critical governance issues and could influence broader perceptions regarding Albania’s media landscape, institutional transparency, and the state’s role as a guardian of fundamental human and labour rights.
The SafeJournalists Network reports that precarious working conditions remain widespread across Albania’s audiovisual media sector. Specifically, in both 2024 and 2025, other media outlets have also reportedly failed to pay social and health insurance contributions and to adhere to basic labour rights standards. To address these systemic challenges, SafeJournalists Network Albania, SCiDEV, the Association of Journalists of Albania (AGSH), and the Syndicate of Journalists and Media Workers in Albania held a series of meetings in recent months with the Labor Inspectorate and the Commissioner for Protection from Discrimination. Additionally, the EU/Council of Europe-facilitated Media Structured Dialogue has established two dedicated thematic working groups on working conditions, resulting in concrete recommendations by experts and representatives of the media community.
Given these developments, it is increasingly imperative for responsible Albanian institutions to intensify their efforts and demonstrate a genuine commitment to protecting media workers’ fundamental labour rights.
Background
In April 2023, Albania’s Special Court of Appeal Against Organized Crime and Corruption issued a decision under the country’s anti-mafia law to confiscate the ownership shares of Ora Sh.a., including both the radio and TV station formerly owned by Ylli Ndroqi (60%) and his spouse (40%), due to allegations that the wealth cannot be justified through legal means. Following a failed appeal that reached the Supreme Court, these shares were transferred to the Agency for Administration of Seized and Confiscated Assets (AAPSK) in September 2023. Since then, Ora Sh.a. has been fully state-administered, placing direct legal and administrative responsibility on AAPSK and the Albanian state regarding its labour and operational practices.