Kristina Ampeva

Kristina Ampeva is a labor and human rights activist, a former textile worker, and one of the founding figures of „Glasen Tekstilec.“ Her activism stems from direct experience with conditions in the textile industry and from the belief that dignified work, fair pay, and equal treatment must be guaranteed for every worker.

She began her professional career in the textile industry in Shtip, where she worked for eight years. During that time, she was directly confronted with long shifts, low wages, mobbing, disregard for workers' rights, and the health consequences of difficult working conditions. These experiences encouraged her to speak out publicly about the problems that had long remained hidden behind factory doors.

In 2017, together with textile workers and human rights activists, she participated in the founding of the Association for the Protection of Workers' Rights "Voice Textile Worker". Today, she leads the organization and manages programs and projects aimed at free legal aid, worker organizing, gender equality, preventing discrimination, improving laws, and strengthening citizen participation in decision-making processes.

In her work, she pays special attention to the protection of women workers, pregnant workers, union members and people facing mobbing, unpaid wages and contributions or illegal termination of employment. She advocates for a minimum and dignified wage that corresponds to the real costs of living, for efficient institutions and for greater accountability of domestic and international companies.

Kristina has been involved in labor law reform working groups and represents workers’ experiences to institutions, media, international organizations, and forums for responsible business conduct. Her approach combines direct field experience, strategic advocacy, and public pressure to create lasting systemic change.

She is also the founder of "Voice Union", formed with the aim of providing private sector workers with an independent, solidary and truly workers' organization. Her vision is a society in which workers are not treated as cheap labor, but as people whose labor, health and dignity must be respected.