The father of one of the miners trapped underground at the Trepça mine has spoken of his deep concern as he waited for his son to return to the surface.
The father said his son had worked as a miner for six years and claimed that he had gone a year without receiving his salary or other payments.
The Independent Trade Union of Trepça Miners responded to the situation, saying that the families of miners should not have to endure such fear and uncertainty.
“Our parents and families do not deserve this anxiety. They have sacrificed their entire lives for us, and we owe it to them not to add another burden of worry and fear,” the union said.
The union stressed that behind every miner who goes underground is a family anxiously waiting for his return.
“Behind every miner who goes underground is a family waiting anxiously for him to come home. Our parents deserve to sleep peacefully, not live with the fear of what might happen to their son,” the statement said.
The union said the miner’s family was only one of many families experiencing the situation with pain and uncertainty.
It also called for miners to be treated with greater respect and dignity, emphasizing that the consequences of difficult working conditions extend beyond the miners themselves.
“We deserve to be treated better, with respect and dignity, because behind us are not only the miners, but also our families who suffer alongside us,” the union said.
