Garbage piling up across Pristina in recent days has led to mounting public frustration, as workers from the public sanitation company “Pastrimi” staged a protest Monday outside the Municipality of Pristina, demanding overdue payments and accusing city leadership of negligence.
Carrying signs that read “Pay your debt, bad debtor,” “Stop politicizing your own failure,” and “Let us work,” the protesters called out Mayor Përparim Rama and his administration for allegedly failing to pay significant debts owed to the company.
According to the workers, the municipality’s non-payment has left “Pastrimi” unable to operate properly, including affording fuel for garbage trucks and paying salaries. The result: a citywide waste collection crisis that has severely affected hygiene and public health.
“We’ve reached this point because we’re being ignored. We’re not asking for charity—we just want to be paid for our work,” said one protester at the scene.
So far, the Municipality of Pristina has not issued an official statement, while residents continue to deal with overflowing trash bins and unsanitary conditions in multiple neighborhoods—raising alarm over a potential public health emergency.
