Zenica miners protest unpaid pensions and blocked health insurance

Former miners of the Zenica soft‑coal mine gathered in front of the company's headquarters to demand the payment of pensions that have been withheld for months. The group, consisting of 27 retirees from a total of 47 workers who became eligible in 2025, say they have not received any pension payments despite contributions being deducted from their salaries for years.

Representatives such as Semir Čajlaković, who has been waiting 18 months, and Ramiz Batal, retired in January 2025, explain that the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina has transferred the owed contributions to the tax authority but has not issued the necessary official decree to allow health‑insurance cards to be re‑issued. Without the cards, the retirees cannot obtain medical treatment or purchase prescribed therapy.

The miners also highlight a debt of more than 100 million KM to the Health Insurance Fund, which has led to the termination of their coverage. They accuse the government of neglect and call for an urgent decision in the official gazette to resolve their pension and health‑insurance status.