As head of the RTH strike committee Anton Lisec told at the press conference, the committee received firm assurances on the remaining strike demands being met from the management in the morning, which is why the miners will leave the mine in the coming hours.
The miners wanted clear answers about the future or RTH – how the company intends to conduct business in 2014 and 2015, how it plans to obtain the money for salaries in the coming months, where the management expects to find three million euros for severance pay to 135 workers to be made redundant this year as well as redundant miners in 2015. The miners also wanted to discuss the possibilities of outplacement and early retirement due to special conditions.
Initially the miners wanted guarantees from the PM
RTH’s CEO Bojan Jelen has presented the miners with evidence of all their demands being met, MMC’s journalist Luka Lukič reported. The miners initially wanted a written assurance from Prime Minister Alenka Bratušek, noting they would end the strike and resume work upon receiving it.
Jelen explained to the miners that financial means for the payout of their February salaries have been reserved in the 2014 budget. Owing to the decision made by the parliamentary committee for infrastructure, nine million euros will be available in the budget, four millions more than initially planned.
On Wednesday Jelen brought the miners assurances on demands related to the payout of salaries for February, which are due to be paid on 18 March, and on severance pay to 11 workers worth EUR 240,000. The workers were made redundant last December.
The salaries for March will probably be covered through property sale, mostly by selling apartments owned by Spekter, RTH’s subsidiary. The miners don’t believe this plan, since the sale hasn’t even begun.
The miners healthy but tired
Before the strike ended, Lisec told the press the miners were healthy but tired. “Life in the mine isn’t fun,” he added. 127 workers were on strike in the mine for four days, as well as 70 members of administrative staff in the office building.
