In his speech, the Ombudsman stated that Albania has changed in these 35 years and the unions must respond to this change.

He raised three main concerns: safety at work, where every life lost is an institutional failure; freedom of association, where employees are punished for union activism; and the informal economy, where thousands of workers are left without a contract, without insurance, without protection.

In this context, Mr. Shabani made three concrete commitments: a cooperation protocol with the KSSH for complaints of public sector employees who are punished for union activism, a dedicated chapter on rights at work in the 2026 Annual Report, and the expansion of the mandate in the private sector in the new draft law for the Ombudsman.

The Ombudsman concluded his speech by saying that his mission is to become the voice of workers who today cannot enjoy the rights recognized by law.