Zenica miners end hunger strike, but will resume work after salary payment

(Patria) - A preliminary agreement was reached at a meeting between representatives of the Trade Union of Miners of the Brown Coal Mine (RMU) Zenica and representatives of the Ministry and Elektroprivreda.

Miners are stopping their hunger strike, but will not resume work until their salaries, expected to be paid by the end of this week, are transferred.

Eight members of the RMU Zenica Trade Union Board had been on a hunger strike in the Miners' Home building, where they had gathered since Thursday in protest against unpaid salaries and delays in the closure process of this mine.

The demands for ending the strike were the continuity of salary payments, in this case for July and August, as well as social security for the remaining employees.

RMU Zenica currently has 512 employees, of whom about 200 are actively working, while about 300 are temporarily laid off and are entitled to compensation equal to the minimum wage in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which is 1,000 KM.

Funds for the retirement of 24 workers have been secured, but due to slow procedures, they have not yet received their pensions, which they have been waiting for 15-16 months.

This year, about 20 more miners will meet the conditions for retirement.