From: Die Morina van Uijtregt
Kosovo Miners End Their Protest After Salaries Confirmed

Hundreds of miners of the zinc, lead and silver Trepca mining complex in Kosovo ended their protest after the Ministry of Economy and Environment confirmed the salaries for October will be paid.

For this reason, over 80 miners started protesting in the  Trepca mining complex in the northern city of Mitrovica on Wednesday.

Hundreds of others joint them later inside the mine where the protest lasted until Thursday at around 4 pm.

The reason miners protested was that they did not receive their salaries for October.

Due to the situation, the Acting Director of Trepca’s Board Hysen Vrajolli resigned on Thursday.

In his resignation letter, he wrote that a campaign against him was launched. He added that the Government of Kosovo, the Ministry of Economic Development and Environment and the Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti, have openly requested that he leave this position, which he says he has done with pleasure.

Following Vrajolli’s resignation, Enes Muzaqi took the office.

Last week the government of Kosovo allocated €1.1 million to the Trepca mine to help it overcome financial issues due to accumulated debts.

In 2016, Kosovo’s parliament transformed Trepca into a public company with 80 per cent of shares owned by the government and 20 per cent by miners.

Trepca previously had 23,000 employees before the dissolution of Yugoslavia, but now only has some 1200.