The Marinza oil workers, employees of the Bankers Petroleum company, are now on their 10th day of hunger strike, through which they are demanding back wages and a raise.
On Friday*, representatives of the Hydrocarbon Workers' Union, supported by civil society activists, protested in front of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy, demanding a response to the situation of oil workers.
"The health condition of the strikers is deteriorating by the hour, seriously endangering their lives and health," said Ilia Kondi, head of the Union of Trade Unions.
"They are fighting for dignified salaries. It is not possible for government officials to have 10 times their salaries, while they are discussing the living wage, so they are on the threshold of the living wage," Kondi continued during his speech at the oil workers' protest.
The company "Bankers Petroleum", which has been exploiting the Patos Marinza oil field for more than 20 years, is currently under investigation by the Special Prosecution Office, SPAK, for setting up a fraud scheme. The prosecution accuses the company's managers and former managers of causing millions of euros in damage to the state budget.
Through the hunger strike, the oil workers are demanding dignified wages, through a transparent increase in the company's wage fund by 18%, and its distribution to the low salaries they currently have.
Lawyer Gentian Serjani told BIRN that it is intolerable that Albanian institutions are not reacting to protect oil workers and a company that abuses them and their common property.
"Our request was that the responsible Ministry not remain silent, but take on the role of mediator without further worsening the health and lives of the oil workers who are on hunger strike," said Serjani.
Rigels Xhemollari from "Civic Resistance" also stated that the conditions in which oil workers worked were extremely difficult compared to the salary they receive.
"At a time when Bankers has disappeared billions of lek from the wealth of Albanians, the workers of this company are on hunger strike for back wages," said Xhemollari.
"These workers who go to oil refineries receive a salary that should be enough to compensate them for the poison that passes into their blood due to the hard work," he concluded.
*The article was amended to clarify that the protest was held by representatives of the Trade Union and civil society organizations. /BIRN/
