The Trepca mines in Kosovo, a large complex that dates back to the Roman era, are currently at a standstill. The miners, some of whom are foregoing food, are on strike for better working conditions and timely payments of their salaries.
Located 9 kilometers northeast of Mitrovica, the Trepca mining complex -- which produces lead, silver, and zinc in ethnic Serb-dominated northern Kosovo -- was once one of the largest companies in the former Yugoslavia, employing approximately 200,000 workers. Today it employs roughly 700 miners.
Following the Kosovo War in 1998-99 and the country's declaration of independence in 2008, the state-owned company endured economic difficulties, such as a lack of investment and falling production.
For the men who toil in the dangerous conditions at the mines -- often working with worn and outdated machinery over 50 years old -- the situation has become intolerable.
Challenges Faced By The Miners
Eset Meha, a 62-year-old foreman with 38 years of experience at the Trepca mines, spends most of his days more than 700 meters underground. With an old frayed coat, muddy boots, and a scuffed safety helmet, he works in thick, polluted air, heavy with smoke and humidity.
"Just getting in and out of the mine with this old equipment is a struggle, in addition to the hard work we do," Meha said.
Eset Meha
"If a miner retires from Trepca healthy, he should thank God," he told RFE/RL deep underground, where he normally works but now is sitting idle due to the strike.
"Thanks to this work, I have problems breathing and sleeping," he added.
With a family of seven to support, Meha accepts the risks, realizing that his salary, in comparison to the average in Kosovo, is good. He is also keenly aware that he lives in a country where the unemployment rate hovers around 12 percent.
Yet, even with a good salary, it is not easy.
"In the last two years, prices have gone up. Earlier, I bought larger quantities and varieties of food; now I must buy less," he said.
Miners' salaries in Trepca range from $740 to $950 a month, higher than the average of $700 in Kosovo.
However, the miners feel that they deserve higher salaries due to the dangerous nature of their work. Another issue is that the mining company offers them neither health insurance nor life insurance.
Meha is also adamant that none of his three sons work in the mines.
Alban Ferati
Another miner is 35-year-old Alban Ferati, who is grateful for the work at the mines. He has spent four years working at Trepca after years of battling to find steady employment. Yet, with a salary of $850 a month, he is also frustrated.
"They don't pay us properly. In recent months, they have divided our salaries into two parts (instead of paying in full and on the designated day)," said the father of three.
"It often happens that I must ask for a loan from a colleague or family member at the end of the month to make ends meet," he said before adding, "Prices for everything have also increased a lot."
The Trepca mining complex once accounted for two-thirds of Kosovo's economy.
Ferati is also required to pay for the equipment he needs to perform his job, such as heavy steel-toed boots.
In addition to the financial hardships he faces with irregular pay, Ferati says he is also dealing with health issues from breathing in the heavy black smoke, which leaves him at times breathless and suffering from migraines.
"There is no more difficult and dangerous job than that of a miner. That is why, at the entrance of the mine, someone wrote, 'Good luck!,'" he added.
Ferati also feels strongly that miners should be provided with health and life insurance.
"We choose to enter the mine; however, we may not be able to choose how we leave it," he added.
Striking miners rest underground.
Strike Action
Dissatisfied with the deteriorating working conditions and the perception that management is ignoring their pleas, Meha and Ferati, along with roughly 200 other colleagues, launched a strike on October 24.
According to the union that represents the men, some of the miners have also chosen to hold a hunger strike. Ibrahim Jonuzi, head of the union, told RFE/RL: "It is not obligatory that they don't eat food; some are eating, some are refusing to eat."
Gani Osmani, representative of the Workers' Union of Trepca, says that the strikers are determined not to work until their demands are met. The wages of miners should be "much higher than those of employees in other sectors above the surface of the earth," Osmani said.
The miners' demands include the timely payment of salaries, the dismissal of current management, and a guarantee of better working conditions.
RFE/RL has contacted company officials for comment but has received no response.
In a press release, Kosovo's Economy Ministry said that the miners should return to work. "During this year, the wages of miners have increased by 17 percent, the payment for overtime has increased by 23 percent, and the food allowance has almost doubled," it said.
International Support For The Miners
The Independent Union of Trepca Miners has published a letter, which it says was sent to Kosovar Prime Minister Albin Kurti by the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA).
According to the letter, UMWA stands in solidarity with its Kosovar colleagues.
"It is a tragic state of affairs when workers who risk their lives every day for the good of their country are forced to go on strike to secure a fair collective agreement that provides dignity, a safe working environment, vital health benefits, and fair compensation for the critical service they provide," says the letter, published by the union on Facebook.
The president of the United Trade Unions of Albania, Gezim Kalaja, also voiced support for the Trepca miners.
Epilogue
On October 27, Trepca suspended Meha and Osmani, along with three other miners. Meha told RFE/RL that he plans on pursuing legal steps to challenge the decision and that he was targeted for being the most vocal opponent in his stance against the management.
Meha adds that despite the deteriorating conditions of the miners, they will not stop their strike until their demands are met.