Miner strike saga continues

BULQIZA, Sep. 14 – The strike of some 700 miners in northern Bulqiza continues. Miners have not agreed to return to work unless the company also fires its manager in the country. The company has already agreed to a 20 percent pay rise and also continuous investment to improve the working conditions, two of the main requests the miners set at the start of the strike two months ago. On Monday they were joined by their children who also boycotted schools. Monday was the first day of the new school year and they pledged to continue striking together with their parents. Meanwhile the strike moved also to the parliament. The opposition Socialists strongly accused top officials working in the town and also in other institutions of collaborating with the company to steal money from the work of the miners. An opposition lawmaker also accused former Economy Minister Genc Ruli, now agricultural minister, the Bulqiza mayor and a top policeman of corrupt deals in licensing many other companies to link contracts with the concessionary company. Economy Minister Nasip Naco strongly denied that and said his ministry had taken all the required steps, including fining the company and also suspending work of other sub-companies. He, nevertheless, considered the continuous strike not valid as it included added requests at a time when the company had fulfilled the previous ones. It is not clear how it will continue and when it may end. The mine is not operating and it will need a lot of work and funding to get back to normal activity.