TUZLA, DECEMBER 21 (ONASA) – In the presence of the Prime Minister of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Nermin Nikšić, today in the Directorate of Rudnik uglja Kreka d.o.o. in Tuzla, the Federal Minister of Energy, Mining and Industry Vedran Lakić and the presidents of the Independent Union of Mineworkers of FBiH Sinan Husić, and of the Independent Union of Miners in FBiH Zijad Lačić, signed the Collective Agreement on the rights and obligations of employers and workers in the field of mining in the Federation of BiH.
Previously, the FBiH Government at its session gave its consent to this collective agreement and authorized Minister Lakić to sign it.
The signatories of the Agreement expressed satisfaction because it was concluded on December 21, Miners’ Day. Prime Minister Nikšić congratulated the participants of the talks, thanks to whom an agreement was reached on the Collective Agreement with which, as he stated, the miners will first of all be satisfied.
– I had the opportunity to be with them twice in the pit for several hours and I know how difficult and responsible their work is.
The contract that was signed implies certain rights and obligations and I sincerely hope that we will reach the stage of my first mandate when we very often had the opportunity to receive reports from mine managements at the Government that records were broken in coal mining that month.
By breaking those records, we will come to a situation where we do not have to procure coal from other sources, but only from our concern.
Our wish is for the stock to be as it was then.
This is what will give stability and security to the power sector.
The Government of the Federation is here to be partners, to be a support and to support the best possible working conditions – said Prime Minister Nikšić.
Minister Lakić expressed his gratitude to all participants in the process of harmonizing the Collective Agreement, and above all the employers, JP Elektroprivreda BiH, all mine managements, and Banovići Lignite Coal Mine.
– Special thanks go to the Government of the Federation, which unanimously supported this contract, as well as great thanks to Prime Minister Nikšić for always emphasizing workers’ rights as a priority in our work.
Today, these rights are related to mines.
We made another victory. Our obligation for the next period is to preserve the energy sector and try to return it to the paths it was once on.
The first and basic condition for this is to raise the level of production from our mines, so that with the equipment, employees and management we have, we can produce much more coal for our thermal power plants.
Then the price of electricity will be good enough that we don’t have to import or purchase coal from other sources.
In this way, we will save our energy sector – said Lakić.
Husić emphasized that the desire of a large number of workers in the field of mining in the FBiH and the entire trade union organization was to sign this collective agreement on Miners’ Day.
– The new collective agreement is a step forward regarding the material rights of workers in coal mines in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The determined linear increase of the basic salary from May 1, 2022 in the amount of 230 KM has been raised to a higher level and the amount that will be applied in the salary calculation methodology from January 1 of the following year is 350 KM.
Also, the allowance for a hot meal in the daily amount was increased from 14 to 17 KM.
It is also very important that this linear increase in the basic salary is subject to tax and contribution, like every part of the salary paid to a worker in the field of mining in FBiH, which has a positive impact on the level of the average salary of workers, as well as the realized average salary in coal mines in FBiH , and the right to it is acquired like any other material right. The negotiation process was very accurate, we all made enormous efforts, showed all-round respect and understanding, so that today we would be in a situation where we could say that we signed a new collective agreement on Miners’ Day.
A lot of work and challenges are ahead of us and we all have to contribute so that what we have agreed on is stable, implementable and in the coming period, together with our colleagues from Elektroprivreda BiH, with the support of federal institutions, we make the energy sector in the Federation much more stable – said Husić.
After the signing of the Collective Agreement in Tuzla, the delegations today laid flowers on the Memorial to the Husina miners in the Husino settlement, as well as the Memorial to the miners who died in the Husina revolt and revolution, and the Memorial to the dead miners of the Mramor mine.