A miner was killed in a work accident on Wednesday in one of the galleries in Bulqiza, a town rich in chrome located in the north-east.
Fiqiri Karaj, 49, father of four kids, lost his life while working, the United Miners’ Syndicate of Bulqiza (SMBB) announced. No further information has been made public so far by authorities.
“The daily confrontation with death tells us of the urgent need for the approval of Miner Status. This makes us more and more determined to move our initiative forward,” the SMBB stated.
In a January report by Sami Curri for BIRN, Edison Hoxha of the Center for Labour Rights noted that Albania reports a lower number of work accidents than Croatia and Slovenia, despite the low workplace safety levels.
Karaj’s death adds to 18 other miners killed at work in the last three years, and 100 more badly injured, according to BIRN. Experts say that accidents not resulting in major injuries or death are not reported at all.
While no person or company has faced charges to date, administrative fines decreased notably last year: €20,000 in 2018, €43,000 in 2019, and €7,500 in 2020.
The Bulqiza miners have gathered the necessary signatures to have their representative, Elton Debreshi, run as an independent candidate in the April elections with the main goal of pushing for the approval in parliament of a law protecting miners.
Institutional statistics are viewed with suspicion by occupational safety and rights experts, who say accidents with minor consequences are neither reported nor properly investigated.
