Miners not giving up on demands for a 20 percent pay raise

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - The Steering Committee of the Independent Union of Mine Workers in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina held a session in Tuzla today, where it was confirmed that there will be no backing down from the demands for a 20 percent pay raise.

We remind you that the collective agreement for the mining sector expired on April 30, and a new one has not been signed. If an agreement on pay raises is not reached, workers of all seven mines within the Elektroprivreda BiH Concern and the Banovići Brown Coal Mine (RMU) will go on a general strike on Monday, May 23, the unions decided earlier.

- Our compromise is that we will agree to extend the validity of the old collective agreement for a limited time, up to the end of the year at the latest, with an adjustment of the hourly rate from 2.70 to 3.24. It is not realistic to negotiate a new collective agreement in its entirety in such a short time, so we would leave additional time for that, but the 20 percent increase is a condition we are not giving up on - says Zuhdija Tokić, president of the Union of Coal Mine Workers Kreka from Tuzla and a member of the federal Union's Steering Committee.

This is a stance that has only been confirmed when it comes to the Union, and on the other hand, a reaction from the Government of the FBiH is awaited, which had the issue of mines on its agenda today.

- We do not have the mandate to give up on the demand for a 20 percent pay increase. That is what the membership is asking of us - concluded Tokić.