Besar Durmishi: Investing in safe, healthy workplaces is an investment, not a cost
Durmishi urged stronger prevention, updated rules and company responsibility while presenting national awards during the European Week for Safety and Health at Work.
Minister Besar Durmishi said the protection of workers is a core right and one of the Ministry of Economy and Labor’s priorities at an event held to mark the European Week for Safety and Health at Work, where National Awards for the best‑implemented system for safety and health at work were presented.
Awards and changing risks
Durmishi warned that rapid technological change, digitalisation and new ways of organising work boost productivity but also create fresh challenges for worker protection. He said special attention must be paid to psychosocial risks, workplace stress and the effects of modern work processes on employees’ mental health.
He reiterated the ministry’s plan to strengthen prevention and modernise the legal framework so that technological and economic progress goes hand in hand with higher protection standards for workers. "Our priority is the continuous improvement of the legal framework, strengthening prevention and creating conditions in which economic and technological progress will be accompanied by higher standards for protecting workers," Durmishi said.
Durmishi emphasised shared responsibility among institutions, employers, trade unions, inspectorates and workers themselves in building a prevention culture, and singled out the role of companies that adopt good practices.
"Investing in safe and healthy working conditions should not be seen as a cost, but as a long‑term investment in people, in companies’ productivity and in our economy’s competitiveness. Only a healthy and protected worker can fully realise their potential, and companies that look after their employees create the basis for sustainable development," the minister said, congratulating the awarded companies and thanking the Council for Safety and Health at Work and social partners.
The Ministry of Economy and Labor said it will continue activities aimed at improving regulation, raising public awareness, bolstering preventive measures and cooperating with social partners to ensure a higher level of worker protection.
Photo: press material from the event
