Breza and Zenica Miners on General Strike: We Cannot Retire, We Are Humiliated!

(Patria) - With a one-hour warning strike, miners from the five remaining mines in the JP Elektroprivreda BiH Concern have expressed support for the miners of the Zenica and Breza Brown Coal Mines who have started a hunger strike, and as of today, they are on a general strike.

Some of the miners are in serious health condition. Miners from Zenica and Breza are without pay.

The union representative of RMU Zenica addressed hundreds of gathered miners:

“We have our clear demands from which we, the 18 of us, will not back down. We will not back down from these basic demands and we are seeking the complete unblocking of the Zenica Mine's accounts, the continuation of production and payment of other benefits, and that our 38 pensioners be adequately taken care of. They earned that pension with their blood,” said the union representative. The Zenica miners decided to stop the hunger strike and continue the general strike.

He emphasized that in his 24 years of working in the Old Mine, he has never experienced seven mines standing behind one.

When it comes to mine reconstruction, the union representative stated that no decision can be made without the consent of the Union, and they will not give their consent until they receive a guarantee that the people will be taken care of in an appropriate manner.

The Patria agency reporter also visited RMU Breza today, where production was halted this morning from 7 AM.

A miner who has been working for 18 years says that his contributions have not been paid for 12 years.

The Breza miners say they will not give up on their demands.  

According to unofficial information, a meeting between the representatives of the mines and the Government of the Federation of BiH and JP Elektroprivreda BiH should be held on Monday.