Stan Tërg, Mitrovica, February 20, 2025
The Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, together with the Minister of Economy, Artane Rizvanolli, and the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development, Faton Peci, participated in the event that marked the 36th anniversary of the great miners’ strike of 1989, at Stan Tërg.
“In the heart of Kosovo, in the depths of our land, for decades the power of a name that symbolizes wealth, work, sustainability and the future has been beating; this name is “Trepça”, Prime Minister Kurti began his speech.
He said that Trepça is not just an enterprise, that it is the pillar of thousands of families that rely on its work every morning, creating a chain that connects the past, the present, our economic future, and beyond.
“Trepça has also helped education through development. In 1956, after World War II, the first of its kind, the Technical High School in Mitrovica was founded to prepare professional technicians for Trepça”. In 1961-62, the Technical High School in Mitrovica was opened, introducing sections of mining and later metallurgy and chemistry, and in 1974, the Faculty of Mining and Metallurgy was founded, which became a center of academic importance for the industrial development of Kosovo, the Prime Minister said.
In addition to the development of education, the Prime Minister also emphasized the important role of Trepça in the development of industry, as the main source of metal processing and a supplier of basic materials to ten factories throughout Kosovo. The economic and political history of Kosovo cannot be understood without the development of Trepça, he said, as he listed the factories that were once supplied with basic materials from Trepça.
Speaking about the great miners’ strike of 1989, he singled out point 8 of the miners’ 10 demands, which stated: “the fate of Albanians in Kosovo and Yugoslavia should be considered in the United Nations”, that is, the issue of Kosovo and Albanians in the former Yugoslavia in general should be internationalized.
“At their core, the miners’ demands were political demands to protect all of Kosovo from Serbia’s oppressive, exploitative and discriminatory policies and its attempt to degrade Kosovo’s status through the suppression of autonomy. And during those eight days, from February 20 to February 28, 1989, horizons 8 and 9 of the Stan Tërg mine shaft were turned into trenches of resistance against the anti-Albanian policies of Serbia and Yugoslavia. On the first day that the miners came out of the shaft after ending the strike, that is, March 1, 1989, the Serbian authorities closed the mine and arrested 15 people who were imprisoned for 14 months each. Meanwhile, three weeks later, on March 23, 1989, Kosovo’s autonomy was suppressed, against the will of our people. The following ten years were a decade of more total resistance, once peaceful and then armed, which resulted in the liberation of Kosovo in 1999 and its independence in 2008”, the Prime Minister said.
Even today, the Prime Minister added, Trepça shows that it is not just a name in history, but also a living force for our development, as it is taking concrete steps to reclaim its rightful place in our economy. For the first time in many years, important properties have returned to proper management. As of this month, 2,133 properties with 12.6 km² of land have returned to Trepça’s name after having been scattered under an astonishing 273 different names. In addition to Trepça’s properties that have been previously misused by others, the company’s operational needs have also been managed by others, now for the first time, the company’s employees manage their own salaries, as well as improving internal processes, financial transparency and control over its assets. Last month, Trepça miners at Stan Tërg increased ore extraction by 78% compared to the same month last year – from 7,200 tons to 12,800 tons.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Economy, Artane Rizvanolli, said that the miners stood up for Kosovo’s right to self-government. With their resistance to the occupying Serbia, they revealed the foundations of freedom and democracy, and they are based on love for the homeland, honest work and constant care for the people’s wealth.
Full speech of Prime Minister Kurti:
Honorable Minister of Economy, Ms. Artane Rizvanolli,
Honorable Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development, Mr. Faton Peci,
Honorable Faton Ahmeti, Chief Executive of Trepça,
Honorable Mr. Ibrahim Januzi, Chairman of the Trepça Trade Union,
Honorable President of the Independent Trade Unions of Albania, Mr. Gëzim Kalaja,
Honorable Director of the Mine, Shyqri Sadiku,
Honorable Members of the Assembly of the Republic, Arjeta Fejza and Agim Bahtiri,
Honorable miners, who are currently here, but especially those who have lived and experienced the famous strike 36 years ago,
Honorable Mr. Burhan Kavaja, who is among us,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Honored guests,
In the heart of Kosovo, in the depths of our land, for decades the power of a name has been beating, symbolizing wealth, work, sustainability and the future; this name is “Trepça”.
Trepça is not just an enterprise. It is the light of a miner deep in the gallery, the voice of a technician who analyzes the ore, the strength of an engineer who drives heavy machinery, the managerial leadership that plans and administers. It is the pillar of thousands of families who rely on its work every morning, creating a chain that connects the past, the present, our economic future, and beyond.
And now, we cannot help but remember the one who was physically separated from us, less than a month ago, precisely on January 27, academician Minir Dushi, the great connoisseur and contributor to Trepça. In his book “Trepça”, academic Minir Dushi says that it was one of the largest producers of lead and zinc in Europe, with a history of over 2000 years. Mines have existed since ancient times. The Illyrians and Romans were among the first to exploit the ores of Trepça, Artana and Janjeva for silver and lead.
Honored guests, the Romans were masters of their mining techniques and even built a center like “Ulpiana” precisely to exploit the minerals of Kosovo.
Trepça has also helped education through development. In 1946, after World War II, the first of its kind in Kosovo, the Technical High School in Mitrovica was founded to prepare professional technicians for Trepça. In 1961-62, the Technical High School was opened in Mitrovica, introducing sections of mining and later metallurgy and chemistry, and in 1974, the Faculty of Mining and Metallurgy was founded, which became a center of academic importance for the industrial development of Kosovo. From the Technical High School, over 500 students graduated by 1970. Meanwhile, from the Mining and Metallurgical Faculty, around 1,400 students graduated by 1989.
The number of workers in Trepça has continuously increased. Thus, in 1975, Trepça had close to 15,000 workers, while in 1987, it had over 23,600 workers, of which 63 percent, according to academician Minir Dushi, were qualified.
And, the development of Trepça, in addition to developing education, has also developed industry. Trepça has been the main source of metal processing. The supply of basic materials served ten factories throughout Kosovo. Let us mention them, because the economic and political history of Kosovo cannot be understood without the development of Trepça: The Battery Factory in Mitrovica, the Battery Factory in Peja, the Lithium Battery Factory in Gjilan, the Battery Factory in Sombor, Vojvodina, the Sheet Metal Factory in Vushtrri, “Metaliku” Factory in Gjakova, Metal Processing Factory, “Famina” in Prizren, the Process Equipment Factory, the Ammunition and Plastic Processing Industry, the “Ekstra” Paint and Varnish Factory in Vushtrri. So, the industry of Kosovo with ten factories also had your Trepça, our Trepça, at its heart.
Honorable guests,
In these times when we remember our Trepça 36 years ago, of course we must emphasize that beyond being an enterprise with such a long history, Trepça has also been a social subject in the history of Kosovo. So, not only in economic history, but also in political history, with regional effects and international echoes. Of course, I am talking about February 20, 1989, when at noon, the miners of the fourth shift did not leave the mine at all, thus joining the miners of the other three shifts, became a total of about 1,300 miners who went on hunger strike that day.
I am quoting from page 25 of Minir Dushi’s book “Trepça”: “The miners of Trepça were the first to oppose the dark intentions of the Serbs by organizing the magnificent epic of the strike of February 1989. Opposing the changes to the 1974 Constitution, 1,300 miners of Trepça were locked in the 5th, 8th and 9th horizons of the Mine, setting a world record for eight days underground. And then it continues: “in solidarity with the miners’ demands, 5 to 7 thousand students of the University of Pristina have been locked in the Kosovo Sports Gymnasium in Pristina for several days”.
And it is interesting, honorable guests, that the 1989 strike also marks the 50th anniversary of a strike that has been forgotten, the 1939 strike, when 3,000 Trepça workers went on strike for better working conditions and won them. So, the strike whose 36th anniversary we are marking today also coincides with the 86th anniversary of a strike on the eve of World War II.
The miners’ demands were laid out at that time in a total of ten points, which all of Kosovo, Albanians and international public opinion learned, among which point 8 said “the fate of Albanians in Kosovo and Yugoslavia should be considered at the United Nations”. So, since that strike, the internationalization of the issue of Kosovo and Albanians in the former Yugoslavia in general was demanded.
At their core, the miners’ demands were political demands to protect all of Kosovo from Serbia’s oppressive, exploitative and discriminatory policies and its attempt to degrade Kosovo’s status through the suppression of autonomy. And during those eight days, from February 20 to February 28, 1989, horizons 8 and 9 of the Stan Tërg mine shaft had been turned into trenches of resistance against the anti-Albanian policies of Serbia and Yugoslavia. On the first day that the miners left the shaft after ending their strike, that is, March 1, 1989, the Serbian authorities closed the mine and arrested 15 people who were imprisoned for 14 months each. Meanwhile, three weeks later, on March 23, 1989, Kosovo’s autonomy was suppressed, against the will of our people. The following ten years were a decade of more total resistance, once peaceful and then armed, which resulted in the liberation of Kosovo in 1999 and its independence in 2008.
But, even in recent times as everyone knows, Trepça is showing that it is not just a name in history, but also a living force for our development. With concrete steps it is regaining its rightful place in our economy.
For the first time in many years, important properties, as Chief Executive Ahmeti mentioned, have returned to proper management. As of this month, 2,133 properties with 12.6 km² of land surface have returned to the name of Trepça after they were scattered in, mind you, 273 different names. There are no longer 273 different names, but one name “Trepça” for all these properties. Thus, spaces that were forgotten for decades are now turning into new opportunities for development.
And in addition to Trepça’s properties that were previously misused by others, the operational needs of the enterprise have also been managed by others. But not anymore. Now, for the first time, the enterprise’s employees are managing their own salaries, as well as improving internal processes, financial transparency and control over its assets.
And in recent years, Trepça has faced numerous challenges, but dedication has enabled this enterprise to continue its operations and increase its performance. Here we are, in Stan Tërg, last month Trepça miners increased ore exploitation by 78% compared to the same month last year – from 7,200 tons to 12,800 tons. Director Shyqri Sadiku knows this very well.
We are seeing such an increase in production continuously, as the CEO mentioned for the fourth quarter, and what is important is that we are also seeing an increase in the number of miners in the mine, as well as increased order in the enterprise. More workers means more order. These will undoubtedly bring us greater benefits for both Trepça and Kosovo, in terms of financial performance.
Therefore, dear miners, and all of you present, the future of Trepça is not only in the ground, but it is also in the hands of those who build it every day!
Thank you and good luck!
Last modified: February 24, 2025