The Chinese company that owns a copper mine in eastern Serbia said on February 13 that it was forced to temporarily suspend production at the mine because of a blockade by villagers on the road leading to the mine.
Zijin Copper said it took the action after supplies of raw materials, including stocks of diesel and explosives, were interrupted by the blockade set up by residents of the village of Krivelj at the end of January.
"Due to all of the above, the company had to suspend production in the youngest mine, but it organized on-site maintenance and hired a few of the total 280 workers for that," the company said.
The company added that it respects the laws of Serbia and actively seeks dialogue with the organizers of the blockade, local authorities, and the Serbian government "so that the road blockade can be resolved peacefully."
Zijin Copper bought around two-thirds of the Bor mining facility from the Serbian state in 2018 and employs some 6,200 people in eastern Serbia. The copper mine is one of several mine pits in the region owned by Zijin.
Residents of Krivelj began blocking the road leading to the mine on January 29, saying increased activity at the mine is endangering the safety and lives of the residents of the village, which is located 250 kilometers southeast of Belgrade.
"We have witnessed that since the takeover of the mining and smelting basin [in] Bor by the company Zijin Copper, the intensity of the work has increased significantly, which has led to endangering the safety and life of the locals, the entire infrastructure, and significant material damage to private property in the territory of the entire the village of Krivelj," according to an earlier statement issued by the organizers of the blockade.
The residents of Krivelj have asked the Serbian government several times to be moved because they say their lives have been made unbearable by the mining activity.
Zijin Copper has repeatedly been the target of criticism from environmental activists and local residents in eastern Serbia who claim that the operation pollutes the air.
People in Bor, which has a population of 40,000, have protested several times because of the high concentration of sulfur dioxide in the air.
The company has repeatedly said that it operates in compliance with all laws and legal acts.
The operation in Bor was the scene of protests for higher wages, improved working conditions, and a new collective bargaining agreement in January 2023. One month earlier, the company released information about wages indicating the average salary at the mine is commensurate with the average salary in Serbia.