The miners of the copper mine in Spaç ended their 40-day strike today, but warned that they will continue the battle for their rights through legal means.
They ended the strike with a demonstration in the square at the entrance to the mine.
Albert Bushpreni, its organizer, said that the decision aims to pave the way for legal proceedings. According to him, the government did not intervene, despite their requests for support and control of working conditions.
"We want to end the strike here to clear the way for the government's claims that during a strike we cannot carry out controls, and we will continue the legal path and our union work without interruption," he said.
The head of the Confederation of Trade Unions of Albania (KSSH), Kolë Nikollaj, praised the strike as an act of dignity and accused the government of a lack of reaction. He stressed that the demands are not only related to wages, but also to minimum standards of work and safety.
On the other hand, the Mayor of Mirdita, Albert Mëlyshi, requested special status for miners as the highest-risk workers in Albania.
"To have a special status, to have a special Labor Code on how miners should be treated and paid," Mëlyshi appealed.
After the end of the strike, miners, local government representatives, and local MPs declared the start of negotiations with the concessionaire "Tete Albania" to reinstate the laid-off miners.
History of the strike
The strike began on October 13 after a two-day boycott by about 70 miners and a series of failed meetings with the Turkish company demanding better conditions, recognition of the new union, and collective contracts.
During the time she continued, the matter escalated to layoffs. In discussion that were held in the Assembly recently, it was said that the number of those laid off had reached 67.
KSSH had asked the company to open negotiations, but it refused, claiming a lack of documentation from the new union.
“Tete Albania” called the strike illegal and stated that KSSH had not presented proof of membership. Mediation meetings at the Regional Employment Agency and the Ministry of Economy failed to produce a solution.
As a result, the protest moved to the Parliament on October 30, where the strikers requested institutional intervention. Minister Delina Ibrahimaj requested additional legal arguments from the union, while subsequent meetings with the company did not bring a solution.
The November 7 meeting in Spaç was canceled, after the miners refused to participate without the presence of KSSH representatives.
Thus, today, November 27, the miners decided to end the strike, but not the battle, warning of continued legal prosecution and union pressure until their rights are recognized.
The Spaç case remains clear evidence of gaps in the protection of workers in hazardous sectors, as former miners have been protesting for years for the adoption of a status that would provide them with more special support and treatment.
Read also:
- Spaç miners protest for working conditions and rights
- Strike in Spaç: Company calls it illegal, 16 miners fired
- From Spaçi to Tirana: Miners demand dignity before the Parliament
Erisa Kryeziu has completed higher studies in Journalism and Communication and Master of Science in Public Relations at the University of Tirana. She has been a journalist and project manager at Citizens.al for five years, where she reports on social issues and human rights, especially on issues of rights at work, in education, gender equality, marginalized groups, people with disabilities such as and for environmental issues. At the same time, she works as a project coordinator with a focus on youth and media education. User of new reporting techniques such as "Mobile Journalism" and citizen engagement tools in reporting (ECR-Engage Citizens Journalism).
