After more than three decades of repeated demands, protests and promises, Draft law on the "Status of the Miner" was defeated once again today in the parliamentary committees, with the votes of the socialist majority.
The Parliamentary Committee on Natural Resources, Infrastructure and Sustainable Development was the third committee where the Socialists' votes gave the red card to MP Jorida Tabaku's proposal.
The argument used by the Socialist Party to reject the initiative was the overlap and conflict with the existing framework.
"Most of the rights provided for in this draft law are already regulated by the law on social security, the law on employment promotion, the law on health and safety at work, as well as by the Council of Ministers on protection from accidents at work or on health insurance.", argued in the Commission the socialist MP Klevis Jahaj, also the rapporteur of the issue.
He further stated that there is no analysis of the economic effects, stating that the government cannot cover the costs of about 1.2 billion lek per year for 13,300 beneficiaries.
For Democratic Party MP Jorida Tabaku, voting on the miner's status remains a political will that the Socialist Party does not have.
"When you see that you have removed VAT for yachts and excluded five-star hotels, now it is said that fiscal sustainability will be disrupted by the status of the miner? Fiscal sustainability is disrupted today by the favors of the Port of Durres and the concession contracts that are theft. The status of the miner does not disrupt it," MP Tabaku said.
According to her, the proposing MP does not conduct the financial analysis and the committee is responsible for submitting it to the government.
"Unfortunately, the government missed Monday night. That's why there's no full financial analysis," said Tabaku.
The MP of the Joint Movement, Redi Muçi, stated that the miner's profession has special difficulties and risks.
"This is shown by the mortality figures in the workplace, which is why the draft law proposal is necessary. The miner status that is being sought is not charity, but a right that must be established in the country that has been ignored for 35 years.", declared Muçi.
He further added that the most difficult profession in the country does not have a status, while we have a special status for MPs.
"There are MPs who will leave with a 2 thousand euro pension and here the rapporteur also spoke about the impact that the approval of the miner's status will have on the budget. The miner's status also determines a series of benefits, protections for this category that are specific for both work injuries and medical treatment, and much more," MP Muçi argued.
MP Vullnet Sinaj stated that in 2019, with the law 29/2029 The demands that are supposed to be resolved by the status have been resolved.
"It is a law that we thought of at the time to give up on special statuses, we grouped all the difficult sectors of the Albanian economy into a common law and we did it like the entire European community does so that we do not have special statuses for each sector, because tomorrow those from the ballet could also stand up and demand these statuses for their work because they also have difficulties there, they are tired too", said MP Sinaj.
A majority voice in the Commission stated that they do not doubt that working in mines and underground is difficult, but these concerns have been resolved with the 2019 law.
"So it's better if you have something to intervene to make some changes to that law and not turn it into statuses, so let's start new methods, at a time when we are seeking our membership in the EU rather than making separate statuses for each sector.", concluded MP Sinaj.
The draft law on the status of miners proposed a minimum pension of 130% of the minimum wage, retirement after 20-25 years of underground work, free health treatment for occupational diseases, and benefits for family members in the event of death.
Former miners and miners have been protesting for years for recognition of the status, even taking the initiative of signing a petition.
Miner's status: political campaign promise
In 2009, when Prime Minister Edi Rama was in opposition, he promised the former miners of Guri i Kuq in Pogradec that he would approve the miners' status in the first 100 days of his government.
In 2013, Edi Rama came to power, and still today the miners are without status.
In October 2017, Socialist Movement for Integration MP Përparim Spahiu sent a draft law on the status of miners to the Albanian Parliament.
"For each person, an additional contribution will be paid at the rate of 5% of the gross salary for the contribution effect. The additional contribution will be paid at the rate of 2% by the employee and 3% by the employer. The difference between the financial effect of this law until the beneficiaries reach the age of majority will be borne by the state budget", said MP Spahiu at the time.
However, the socialist majority did not support this bill. According to the government at the time, approving this status would have negative effects on the pension scheme and the state budget.
In April 2028, in a meeting with miners, Rama stated that if the first governing mandate promised to lower the retirement age for miners, "We promised this mandate the status and we will keep it."
During the accountability tour in June 2018 in the municipality of Klos, Minister Olta Xhaçka promised residents that the draft law on the status of miners was being reviewed and would be resolved very soon.
"It is being discussed, it is being reviewed, and very soon we will come up with a draft that will again go through a public consultation to obtain your agreement.", emphasized Xhaçka.
In the same month, retired miners and the unions that were operating at the time gathered in protest in front of the Prime Minister's Office to demand status, otherwise they would start a hunger strike.
"In terms of status, we are making a draft law like Europe has, a draft law on status for all these difficult work statuses that will enter the categories with a special status", Prime Minister Rama said to the residents of Has in October 2018, during a conversation about the co-governance platform.
In 2019, the issue of status was brought to the fore again. While a group of miners were protesting in front of the Prime Minister's Office, the Federation of Industrial Workers' Unions stated in a statement to the media that they would prepare a draft for the status of miners together with the Government and that it would soon be passed in parliament.
In the year 2020, The miners sent a petition to the Assembly with 10,700 signatures. They demanded an increase in wages and other benefits for the miners, an increase in pensions, guaranteed health care and life insurance. After more than three years, there was no response from the Assembly.
On October 30, 2024, Rama stated that the status has been approved and it is pointless to continue this story.
"We have approved the status of the miner, it is time, it is not a coincidence that miners retire 10 years before others. It is in the status, as is retiring before others, all other benefits are the same as other categories. We have only with the special statuses, with compensations, special treatment for electricity, etc., we have 270 million euros. These 270 million euros also include miners", he declared in a meeting with pensioners.
Also Read:
- "30 years in search of status" - Miners start the petition
- Kukes miners join the petition for the status: "8 hours underground, today 120 thousand lek is too much"
- Former miners in protest, 3 decades in search of status
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).
