FBiH Government, EPBiH, and mine managements did not accept miners' demands

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - An urgent meeting convened by Federal Prime Minister Fadil Novalić in the FBiH Government building due to protests by miners from seven EPBiH coal mines has concluded.

The government did not meet the miners' demands; a negotiation team has been formed.

The miners refused to attend the meeting and do not wish to negotiate. They have presented eight demands and insist on their fulfillment. 

The meeting was attended by the Minister of Energy, Mining and Industry, Nermin Džindić (SBB), all members of the FBiH Government, the director and management of Elektroprivreda BiH, members of the Supervisory Board of Elektroprivreda, and the directors of all eight mines. 

The miners demanded the annulment of the rulebook on work and work performance in the Kreka Coal Mine, the resignation of the director of Elektroprivreda BiH and the directors of coal mines that are part of these companies, the linking of service records for employees, the establishment of a minimum wage of 1,000 KM, and other demands. 

Following the meeting, the Prime Minister of FBiH, Fadil Novalić, addressed the media.

"Tonight, I convened a meeting with government members, trade unions, the director of Elektroprivreda, and the management board, and we invited the miners' trade union. I wanted to hear what the exact problem is, and unfortunately, I did not get an answer. In that regard, we have formed a negotiation group that needs to decide with the mine trade unions what the problem is," said Novalić.

Admir Andelija, director of Elektroprivreda BiH, stated that they did not have the opportunity to talk.

"It's not up to us. We will invite the miners' trade union again to start negotiations. We have brought the energy sector into a difficult situation, and if this continues, the Federation's electricity supply will be questionable in the next 15 days. One of the demands is the settlement of obligations towards employees, which amounts to half a billion marks. They are demanding an increase in electricity prices for households," said Andelija. 

He emphasized that if this continues, we will have a problem and a deficit.

"The trade union has used media space. Trade union representatives constantly talk about the basic salary. Until now, salaries in the mines were paid in a way that was not in accordance with the Labor Agreement. The new rulebook on work states that the basic salary is 580 KM, but there are also allowances. A miner will have a higher salary with 100% work performance. Administrative staff will have a lower salary," Andelija stated.

The director of the Kreka mine, Husein Trumić, said that the Kreka mine is one of the mines with the biggest problems.

"The situation in the mine is unsustainable in this way. We have no progress without the restructuring process. Today, I publicly called on the trade union to resolve the current situation through negotiations. Mines have been in a constant economic decline for the last 10 years. I believe we can endure this and make the mines the future of the energy sector," said Trumić, Avaz reports.

The Federal Minister of Energy, Mining and Industry, Nermin Džindić, addressed the media after the meeting in the FBiH Government building, confirming that a working group has been formed.

"We have presented the demands that came from the trade union. We have analyzed each of these eight demands and will task a working group to enter into negotiations. Today, I asked the trade union representatives several times to negotiate, but they said no. I am again calling on all trade unions to respond, to sit down, and talk. Some of the demands are logical and we will accept them, some are not, and discussion is needed. It is impossible to dismiss all seven directors; we would bring everything to a collapse," said Džindić. 

He added that the electricity supply for FBiH must not be jeopardized.

"We have made agreements several times so far, and one of them is in these documents. We have fulfilled some things, and some we have not. Some things have worsened in the mines, but we need to continue negotiating," Džindić added.

He said that demands number two, four, five, and eight are acceptable immediately.

"The demands for the dismissal of mine directors are unacceptable, and that needs to be discussed. No one applied for the last two advertisements for director positions. Other points may lead to different solutions," the minister added.