Miners of RMU Zenica Announce Overnight Stay at Miners' Hall Due to Unpaid Wages

(Patria) - About fifty workers of the Dependent Company Brown Coal Mines Zenica gathered today at the Miners' Hall to protest over delayed wages, with some of them announcing that they will stay overnight in the building in the coming days until their demands are met.

President of the Union of ZD RMU Zenica, Nedžad Duraković, said that the workers are demanding payment of the hot meal allowance for March and the full April salary with all associated benefits.

– Today is June 15, and we are already entering a period when we should be thinking about the May salary. People have been brought into a situation where they have had no income for two months – said Duraković.

He added that the workers are forced to protest and that, if no solution is reached, they will consider other union activities.

Workers engaged in equipment extraction have stopped work in the pit, while employees maintaining the pits continue to work, although, as the union states, they are facing numerous problems.

Duraković reminded that the last salary was paid on June 1, after a 58-day delay, and that many workers had their loan obligations immediately deducted by banks, leaving them with only a small portion of the money.

He also emphasized that there is currently no information on when the April salary might be paid.

Commenting on claims that the miners have been left without support from the Independent Union of Mine Workers of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Duraković rejected such allegations, stressing that the Zenica union organization remains part of the umbrella union.

In the meantime, work is being done on administrative procedures related to funds intended for the retirement of workers who met the conditions for retirement during the past year.