Workers at Albania’s AlbChrome mine in Bulqize are raising their concerns that they are working without any protective measures, as the rest of Albania remains in almost total lockdown.
The Bulqiza United Miners’ Union (SMBB) which found several of its members fired by the company shortly after its formation at the end of 201,9 wrote on Facebook about their situation.
“Despite the extraordinary situation that the country is in and the severe measures taken against the Covid-19 virus, work at the mine continues without any protection for workers. As can be seen from these pictures, workers have no protective measures to use on the buses that transport them to work, nor inside the premises of work. The danger to the health and life of miners is at a higher risk.
We ask the company to do something as soon as possible. We call on state institutions to take the necessary measures before it’s too late!”
The SMBB published a number of photos showing that it was business as usual at the mines.
AlbChrome is owned by one of Albania’s most wealthy businessmen, Samir Mane who is the subject of ongoing protests by the miners who are demanding more rights, and a leftist civil society group, The Political Organization, who call him an oligarch.
Following a number of injuries and even deaths that the miners claim happened in AlbChrome mines and were always blamed on the victims, they have called for better working conditions, increased safety, better wages, and those that were fired to be given their jobs back.
To date, none of their demands has been met and miners claim they have been slandered, pressured and intimidated by the company. In January, Dibra prosecution dropped an investigation into whether their protests against AlbChrome were illegal but the Labour Inspectorate, who the SMBB claim is in the pocket of Mane, said that the termination of Union members contracts was not a violation of their rights.
