Zenica on its feet: Miners spent the night in front of Stara Jama, management arrived at work

07:00 Miners are not giving up on their demands this morning, and spent the entire night in front of Stara Jama, reports a reporter from the Patria news agency. The mine management arrived at work this morning and entered the building without hindrance, while the already exhausted miners are considering what to do next.

We remind you, the miners want payment of meal allowances and holiday bonuses, but the management reportedly does not have the money for full payment at this time.  

 

01:01 - More than a hundred Zenica miners are standing in the yard of Stara Jama, continuing the strike they began on Wednesday, demanding payment of meal allowances and holiday bonuses. Meanwhile, the director of the Zenica mine, Esad Ćivić, is sleeping! A Patria reporter called him on the phone and tried to explain what was happening in the mine yard, but Ćivić was angry about it. Before hanging up, he only commented that it was not okay to wake him up late after midnight. 

Around midnight, the mine's technical director, Munir Halilović, arrived at the Stara Jama yard, trying to calm the miners.

23:20 - About 30 miners from the Raspotočje mine in Zenica have set off towards Stara Jama, located on the other side of the city, where they will join other miners, around a hundred of them, who have been on strike since last night because the management has not paid their meal allowances and holiday bonuses, reports a reporter from the Bosnian news agency Patria, who is on the scene.

Photo: Armin Durgut/Patria

It is expected that miners from the Stranjani mine could also head towards Stara Jama at any moment to show support for their colleagues.

Since yesterday, Zenica miners have refused to go down into the mine until their demands are met.

Miners of the Zenica Brown Coal Mine Stara Jama spent a sleepless night at the mine gate last night, demanding that the management fulfill several demands, Patria writes.

Miners from the third and first shifts are protesting due to delays in the payment of meal allowances and holiday bonuses.

Technical director Munir Halilović told the miners that the funds had been paid, but the miners do not believe him. They say problems in the mine have been ongoing for six months, and they no longer want to remain silent.

- It was Bajram, children started school, and I cannot give my child even one mark - said miner Amir Arnaut, which is also the message of all miners.

Photo: Armin Durgut/Patria

The miners emphasize that they are unanimous in the demands of their colleagues who have been on strike since Wednesday evening, but stress that there are still many problems in the mine, which the management promised to resolve after last year's mining accident in which five of their colleagues lost their lives, but everything remained just a promise.

- Of course we support our colleagues and demand payment of holiday bonuses, but we are also troubled by many other issues. I want to point out that we are ready to stay here all night, that is, until the management adopts and implements our demands - said Jasmin Hanjalić, an electrician at the Raspotočje mine, Patria writes.