The People’s Advocate has asked the State Labor Inspectorate and the State Agency for Child Rights and Protection to conduct an urgent inspection following the publication of a video where minors are suspected of being engaged in construction work at a construction site owned by businessman Gjergj Luca.
The institution requests immediate verification of the circumstances and the taking of measures to protect the children involved.
According to the Ombudsman, the employment of minors is strictly regulated by Albanian legislation and international conventions on children’s rights, while the responsible authorities must act urgently to guarantee the implementation of the law.
“The employment of minors is strictly regulated by Albanian labor legislation and by the international obligations that Albania has undertaken through the Convention on the Rights of the Child. In this context, responsible institutions are called upon to act urgently to guarantee the implementation of the law.
The Ombudsman has announced that he will closely follow the actions of the authorities and monitor whether legal obligations have been fulfilled, informing the public about the conclusions of the administrative investigation.
The video that raised the alarm
Gjergj Luca published on social media footage from a construction site he owns, where two minors aged 14-15 are seen working with iron.
In the video, the minors do not appear to be equipped with protective equipment and there is no evidence of professional supervision, raising questions about safety at work and respect for their rights.
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What does the Labor Code provide?
Albanian legislation does not prohibit the employment of young people over 16 years of age, but it does impose clear restrictions. The Labor Code prohibits the engagement of minors in heavy work, in extreme temperatures, or in activities that require forced body positions and movements.
Also, a 2017 decision of the Council of Ministers provides for additional protective rules and does not allow minors to work more than 6 hours per day.
The precedent with high school students in the factory
This is not the first case that has raised debate regarding the involvement of minors in the businessman’s activities. In June 2022, Luca published a video showing several high school girls working at the shrimp processing factory in Elbasan, along with their mothers.
He presented this as a form of education for young people, arguing that they should learn how to earn money. After the inspection, the State Labor Inspectorate stated that it had found no violations, assessing that the work did not endanger the health or development of minors.
However, civil society organizations disputed this conclusion, arguing that working in low temperatures and prolonged sitting posed a risk to children and violated child protection standards.
Recent images from the construction site have reignited the debate on compliance with legislation on the employment of minors and have increased demands for full verifications by responsible institutions.