The Bulqiza United Miners’ Union (SMBB) has launched a petition asking the Albanian parliament to approve the “miner status” as soon as possible.
3500 signatures have been secured in the past two weeks alone, in Dibra, Kukës, Klos and Peshkopia.
The union announced via social media that signature collecting efforts would expand to other Albanian cities soon.
Miners are asking for a minimum monthly wage of 70 thousand lekë (€570), retirement benefits for them and their families in case of work injuries and accidents, pension increase and reduction of retirement age. They also ask for the right to free medical check-ups, and in the case of professional illnesses, for the state to provide free medical treatment.
There are about 8 thousand current and former miners in Albania. Miners have the shortest lifespan when compared with other citizens, due to the challenging conditions of working underground.
Miners have previously held a number of protests demanding the approval of the miner status.
In 2018, Minister of Energy and Infrastructure Damian Gjiknuri announced that the government was working on the miner status and it expected to have a final draft soon. Meanwhile, in 2009, Prime Minister Edi Rama, then head of the opposition, promised to approve the miner status as soon as he came in power.
