Bosnia utility warns of power cuts over coal miners' protest

About 7,000 miners launched an industrial action on Tuesday, with thousands of them protesting in Sarajevo for two days against what they said were government violations of work and pay regulations. The miners and their trade union leaders refused to negotiate with government and EPBiH managers, saying they would not return to the mines unless their requests were met.

Power production at Bosnia's Tuzla coal-fired power plant is under threat after seven coal mines which are part of the EPBiH utility halted work in protest over new pay rules, EPBiH's general manager said on Wednesday. About 7,000 miners launched an industrial action on Tuesday, with thousands of them protesting in Sarajevo for two days against what they said were government violations of work and pay regulations.

The miners and their trade union leaders refused to negotiate with government and EPBiH managers, saying they would not return to the mines unless their requests were met. They insist that EPBiH pays outstanding pension contributions and gives up the proposed lowering of a basic salary to 570 Bosnian marka (291 euro) from 850 marka.

The seven coal mines have accumulated a debt of nearly 1 billion marka through mismanagement and corrupt practices in the past decade, the Industry and Energy Minister of Bosnia's autonomous Bosniak-Croat Federation Nermin Dzindic has said. Coal reserves are enough for the next 10 days, EPBiH General Manager Admir Andelija said, expressing hope a solution would be found so that EPBiH was not forced to raise electricity prices.

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