Meeting with the Swedish ambassador in Tirana Mrs Elsa Håstad

Mrs Håstad expressed her appreciation for our engagement and promised to pass on our concerns to the responsible institutions, inside the country and abroad

Last Thursday, the offices of the United Miners of Bulqiza Trade Union were visited by the Swedish ambassador in Albania, Mrs Elsa Håstad. The discussion focused on several topics for which the ambassador expressed her interest, such as the reasons that pushed us to form SMBB, the war started by Albchrome against our union and by the governmental institutions, the situation with the mines in Zone D, as well as the general situation in Bulqiza.

We informed Mrs Håstad about the lack of serious and functioning trade unions in the country, just like in Bulqiza. The corrupt old trade unions that work for the interest of the bosses and not those of the miners was one of the reasons why we created the new trade union. We also informed the ambassador regarding the actions of Albchrome, illegally and unfairly firing 4 of the leaders of SMBB, only due to their trade-unionist activity.

The actions of the governmental institutions, from the Ministry of Finances and Economy, all the way to the Labour Inspectorate, which faithfully served the interests of Albchrome, took up the better part of the conversation. We also discussed the unprecedented media silence towards such an injustice. With Mrs. ambassador, we talked about the precarious situation in most of the mines in Zone D, where hundreds of miners are not receiving their wages for months.

This situation has influenced the aggravation of the general situation in Bulqiza, which is plummeting in poverty even though it sits on top of immeasurable wealth. Mrs Håstad expressed her appreciation for our engagement and promised to pass on our concerns to the responsible institutions, inside the country and abroad.

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