The debates about the approval of the miner's status are back again. Prime Minister Edi Rama, in the meeting held with pensioners in the city of Durrës, was asked by the participants about the approval of the status and the benefit of the 1% salary supplement.

Rama said that the miners will continue to benefit from the reduction of the retirement age, which according to him constitutes the status of the miner.

"We have approved the miner's status for some time. It is no coincidence that miners retire 10 years before others. It is in the status. As is early retirement, so are all other benefits just like other categories. The status is approved, it is useless to continue this story, if you want another type of status, you are in your right. There are no more of these things, there will be no exceptions of this nature. These exceptions are over," Rama said.

Meanwhile, the head of the Confederation of Trade Unions of Albania, Kol Nikolaj told Monitor that there is no real status for miners in the country.

The adoption of the law "On the supplementary financial treatment of employees who have worked in underground mines, of employees of the oil and gas industry and employees who have worked in metallurgy", according to him, fulfilled only one request of the miners, the lowering of the age for the benefit of transitional payment.

On the other hand, the Democratic Party has just deposited in the Assembly the draft law "On the Status of the Miner in the Republic of Albania." In relation, it is emphasized that the figures published by the State Labor Inspectorate show that 20% of accidents at work in Albania, often with fatal consequences for life, occur in mines, which shows how useful the status of the miner would be for this category.

The number of miners who have lost their lives in unlicensed entities remains undetermined. For this reason, approval of the status is necessary.

The draft also recommends taking new measures to increase miners' pensions. Average miners' pensions currently amount to Lek 25,000. In the draft, it is proposed that the pension be calculated, on top of the basic and supplementary pension, and in no case be less than 130% of the minimum salary.

According to the draft, the supplementary pension for miners will be an additional 3% for each year of service, above the minimum limit set for the basic pension. In the draft law, it is proposed that every miner who has worked at least 25 years in the mine, has the right to retire early, without penalties. While miners who have worked at least 10.5 years underground, can retire before 25 years of work, but not less than 20 years. While for that category that has benefited from full pension or disability, for those who have become unemployed due to the closing of the mines, before the entry into force they will benefit from 50% of this amount.

From the new pension conditions, the beneficiaries will be 13,300 people with a financial effect of Lek 1.2 billion per year.

The financing according to the draft is recommended to be provided not only from the budget funds but also from the increase in the amount of 3% of the contributions of persons seeking to benefit from a pension. After the entry into force of the draft law, the addition of contributions in the amount of 1.5% will be paid by the miners and 1.5% by the employers.

The draft also pays attention to the working conditions and safety at work of the miners, and their medical and social benefits.