# Zenica miners protest over unpaid benefits

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/zenica-miners-protest-over-unpaid-benefits
> Updated: 2026-08-05T08:18:51.000Z. Sources: 7. Developments: 2.

In mid‑July 2026, former workers of the Zenica soft‑coal mine gathered outside the company’s headquarters to demand overdue pension payments and the reinstatement of health‑insurance cards. The retirees, many of whom had seen contributions deducted for years, complained that the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina had transferred the owed funds to the tax authority but had not issued the decree needed to restore their insurance coverage.

A few weeks later, in early August, about twenty current miners from the Zenica brown‑coal mine entered the Raspotočje shaft and stayed overnight. They protested months of unpaid wages, the inability to verify health‑insurance cards, and an unresolved employment status. Union leaders said the workers no longer trusted the union or authorities and demanded payment of wages, regularisation of health‑insurance documentation, and a fair transition for displaced staff.

By 5 August, the occupation entered a second night, with eighteen Zenica soft‑coal miners—joined by colleagues from the Kakanj and Breza mines—remaining in the Raspotočje shaft. The Health Insurance Institute of the Zenica‑Doboj Canton, owed more than 175 million KM in contributions, extended the verification period for health‑insurance cards by 30 days, a step the miners said did not address unpaid May and June wages. The number of miners in the jam fell to eleven as some were assigned to ventilation and water‑pumping tasks; no serious injuries were reported. With the mines slated for closure and equipment extraction pending, government officials have offered no concrete timetable for settling the debt or paying the wages, deepening workers’ distrust.

## Timeline

### 2026-08-05: Zenica miners remain in Raspotočje jam protesting unpaid wages and health‑insurance delays

Zenica coal miners stay in the Raspotočje jam protesting unpaid May‑June wages and delayed health‑insurance cards, despite a 30‑day extension for verification; 11 miners remain, with no clear government remedy.

7 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/zenica-miners-remain-in-raspotoje-shaft-over-unpaid-wages

### 2026-07-13: Zenica miners protest unpaid pensions and blocked health insurance

Zenica miners protest that unpaid pensions and missing official approval have left them without health insurance or pension benefits.

4 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/zenica-miners-protest-unpaid-pensions-and-blocked-health-insurance

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Cite as: Zenica miners protest over unpaid benefits. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/zenica-miners-protest-over-unpaid-benefits