Petition for miners, requesting the compilation of a List of Occupational Diseases

The Institute for Research and Human Rights (IHRNj) has launched today the petition within the framework of the project "Invisible Underground Workers: For an Official List of Occupational Diseases for Kosovo Miners".

In the announcement made public by the Independent Union of Trepça Miners, it is stated that the petition aims to request the responsible institutions to draft and approve the Official List of Occupational Diseases.

"A fundamental step that would enable: Legal recognition of diseases caused by work in mines, adequate health treatment for affected workers, deserved financial compensation for damages and losses, the possibility of early retirement when the health condition requires it, urgent preventive measures to reduce risks, as well as monitoring mechanisms for the long-term protection of the health of active and retired miners," the announcement states.

It has been announced that the project is funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) and implemented by the Community Development Fund (CDF).

"The activities of the HRMI aim to strengthen the rights of miners through the documentation of occupational diseases. The petition is a continuation of the work of the HRMI to document violations of miners' rights and demonstrate the urgent need for the creation of this list," the announcement states.

The union says that for many miners, occupational diseases are not just statistics, they are daily realities that affect their lives, dignity, well-being and families. “Therefore, this issue must be addressed with clear priority,” the Independent Union of Trepça Miners said in a statement.