VOLUNTEERS PROVIDE MANPOWER FOR SERBIAN COAL MINES; CONFIRM BLACK COAL RESERVES

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00809A000700040179-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: R
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 27, 2011
• Sequence Number: 179
• Publication Date: January 25, 1952
• Content Type: REPORT

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/10/31 :
CLASSIFICATION RESTRICTED RESTR1CTF
STAT
SECURITY INFORMATION
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
R7nORT
INFORMATION FROM
FOREIGN DOCUMENTS OR RADIO BROADCASTS
COUNTRY Yugoslavia
CD NO.
DATE OF
INFORMA
TION
1951
manpower
SUBJECT Economic - Coal mining
HOW
,
DATE D1ST. p,4/
Jan 1952
PUBLISHED
WHERE
PUBLISHED
DATE
PUBLISHED
Daily newspaper
Zagreb
14 Oct - 2 Nov 1951
LANGUAGE
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO.
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'IOUJNTEERS PROVIDE MANPOWER FOR SERBIAN COAL MINES;
CONi IRM BLACK COAL F;:SERVES
COMMUNIST PARTY, PEOPLE'S FRONT PROVIDE MANPOWER -- Zagreb, Borba, 28 Oct 51
Although Serbian coal mines made significant progress in 1951 as compared
with 1950, it was insufficient to satisfy the increased demands of Yugoslav con-
sumers and industry. Primarily because of a manpower shortage, coal production
began declining the the second half of 1951.
In the first half of 1951, Serbian coal mines fulfilled their plan 91 per-
cent (black coal 100 percent, brown coal 84 percent, and lignite 94 percent).
In succeeding months this percentage decreased considerably. In July, black
coal mines fulfilled 69 percent of their plan; in August, 66 percent; in Sep-
tember, 56 percent; and up to 17 October, 56 percent. In July, brown coal mines
fulfilled 68 percent of their plan; in August, 70 percent, in September, 69 per-
cent; and up to 17 October, 02 percent. In July, lignite mines fulfilled 57
percent of their plan, in August, 63 percent; in September, 82 percent; and up
to 17 October, 80 percent.
Significant increases in October were due to the Communist Party and People's
Front sending their members to work in the mines. A total of 2,038 workers and
3,000 farmers are to participate in this program; by 25 October, 1,452 workers
and 777 farmers had reported. If the remainder arrive in a ahcrt time, p=oduction
losses can be made up to a great extent. The Vojvodina was scheduled to send 270
workers, but 300 reported.
Working conditions are very good in most of the mines. Workers receive 120
diners daily in addition to wages received from their regular jobs; in October,
they also received additional food coupons. These advantages have been well ad-
vertised in the Vojvodina in the -ampaign for additional manpower, and are the
main reason why the Vrdnik mine now has sufficient workers. The Vojvodina has
also fulfilled its plan for sending new workers to Kostolac and Kolubara.
NSRB
FBI
11 L IV, v RICTEC
DISTRIBUTION
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In the rest of ?erbia, Mlava Srez is outstanding for sending slightly less
than the planned number of workers to the Mlava mine.
A considerable number of srezes were far from fulfilling their plan, for
the project was not approached with the proper seriousness, and recruitment was
conducted in a hit-or-miss fashion. Srezes which should have sent workers to
the Aleksinac __ines are an example. The Aleksinac mine needed about 1,100
workers. Of the 289 workers and 800 farmers who were to have reported, only
154 workers and 135 farmers reported.
Seasonal agricultural work can no longer be claimed as the main obstacle
to recruiting new workers for summer work in the mines. The manpower problem
cannot be solved at once, because the great expansion of Serbian mining has
led to a shortage of professional miners. This condition will exist for some
time, for insufficient mechanization makes the manpower shortage felt even more
keenly. However, available manpower has not been utilized to the fullest, not
only becaure available workers have not been recruited to the fullest extent,
but because those who did report were not properly received.
Mines which felt the manpower shortage most acutely did not provided as
good working conditions and as good housing as possible for the new workers.
Mines were not concerned that many of the new workers had never been in a mine
before, and should have been helped in their work, housing, and supplies. Pa'.-
ticular attention should also have been paid to seeing that new workers received
their regular pay and bonuses for exceeding quotas regularly n^.d on time. How-
ever, this did not apply to all mines. The Aleksina, Arand,jelovac and Senjski
Rudnik mines provided good working and living conditions for their new workers.
-- M. T.
EXPLAIN WORKERS' OBJECTIONS TO WORK IN MINES -- Zagreb, Borba, 2 Nov 51
At the request of the Communist Party, workers of the "Vetserum" Bureau In
Zemun went to work in the "Rtan.j" black coal mine to help fulfill the plan.
Peter Jovanovic, assistant director of the bureau, described their experiences
with the mine management and the reasons why many workers in the vicinity of the
mine will not work in it.
Members of the "Vetserum" trade union believe that workers in the vicinity
will not work in the mine because the administration is poor and because various
inequities occur, not because living conditions are poor. For example, miners
with an R-1 food ration card ere fed the sa'" rations as clerks (of whom there
are many more), whose cards call for less rations. Consequently, rations are
inadequate for miners doing,heavy physical labor.
Workdays are frequently computed incorrectly, workers sometimes being
credited with fewer days than they work, sometimes with more. Workers are not
paid immediately after the first of the month, as is normal, but are paid be-
tween the 10th and 15th of the mouth, probably because of administrative dif-
ficulties.
The greatest surprise occurred recently when pay computations were completed.
Members of ine "Vetserum" trade union did not even receive their normal pay, not
to sneak of the supplementary allowances for exceeding their quotas. The sup-
plementary allowances for work on Sundays were not computed. Consequently, the
total pay was not sufficient even to cover expenses incurred. It is well known
that all mine workers should be paid at least as much as they were on their previ-
ous jobs; if they exceed their quotas they are supposed to be paid a supplementary
sum. This was not done in the Rtanj mine.
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Some workers had to pay their own transportation to and from work, because
the mine refused to recognize transportation cards for the entire group, but
only recognized those of the 16 who had been scheduled to come originally. The
agreement worked out by the bureau with the Main Directorate for Coal of Serbia
was not generally recognized.
The mine director had promised the departing workers truck transportation
to the station, but forgot to inform his subordinates, so a number of them had
to walk to the station, which was quite far.
Sixteen men had been scheduled to go to work in the Rtanj mine from the
"Vetserum" Bureau, but many more reported. The management Lad an agreement with
the main directorate that instead of 16 workers who could work 2 months, about
32 men would go to complete the work in one month by working two shifts. When
the first group arrived at the mine, no one awaited them, nor was anyone con-
cerned with showing them bow to work in a mine, although they were descending
into the pits for the first time. The new workers had to learn by experience
or by questioning the regular workers. After 12 days of using a forbidden path
to enter the mine they were finally noticed. After 10 days, they learned who
the mine director was. The party and union leadership was very little con-
cerned with these men.
OVER 2,300 WORKERS FROM VOJVODINA VOLUNTEER -- Zagreb, Borba, 2 Nov 51
Novi Sad, 1 November -- Over 2,300 (about 200 more than anticipated) workers
and clerks from establishments and enterprises in the Vojvodina have thus far
reported for work in mines and on priority construction projects in Serbia
proper. Among them were about 450 carpenters and masons urgently needed at
building sites.
MACEDONIAN MILITIAMEN VOLUNTEER FOR WORK IN MINES -- Zagreb, Borba, 2 Nov 51
Skoplje, 1 November -- Over 220 members of the People's Militia of Macedonia
are to report for work in the mines. The first groups of militiamen have already
reported for voluntary work in the Aleksinac and Rtanj mines. Officers, noncom-
missioned officers, and militiamen will remain on the job about 2 months.
MEMBERS OF SLOVENIAN MILITIA VOLUNTEER -- Zagreb, Borba, 2 Nov 51
Ljubljana,1 November -- On 31 October, 200 officers, noncommissioned officers,
and militiamen of the People's Mi-,itia of Slovenia left Ljubljana for 2 months
of voluntary work in the Zagorje, Hrastnik, Senovo, Kocevje, Velenje, and Kisovec
mines in Slovenia. The militiamen are from various parts of Slovenia; the majority
left for the Velenje mine.
HELP KREKA MINE TO FULFILL PLAN -- Zagreb, Borba, 2 Nov 51
Tuzla, 1 November -- Work brigades composed of members of the Communist Par.y
and the People's Front have begun arriving at the Kreka lignite mine to help ful-
fill the annual plan; 460 workers have come from Banjaluka Oblast and 1,100 from
Tuzla Oblast. The largest number (285) came from Tuzla Srez; 136 from Zvornik
Srez; 186 from Lopar Srez; and 162 from Brcane Srez.
With the help of these new workers, conditions are favorable for fulfilling
the annual plan oq time.
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CONFIRM BLACK COAL RESERVES IN MAJEVICA MOUNTAINS -- Zagreb, Borba, 14 Oct 51
Tuzlc, 10 October -- In 1919, an Austrian firm attempted to exploit the
black coal deposits in the Mejevica mountains and opened a mine near Lopare.
However. this firm and successive operators eventually abandoned the mine be-
cause of transportation difficulties and lack of mechanical equipment.
20 exploit anew the black coal reserves is Majevica, the Directorate of
Mines in Kreka began new geologic exploration of the area and established the
existence of considerable reserves of black coal under the slopes around Lopare.
'A tunnel is under construction which will emerge on the Tuzla-Brcko highway,
where coal is to be trucked to Brcko to be loaded in railroad cars.
According to the chief engineer of the Kreka mines, who is also engineer
of the Majevica mine, over 500 tons of ')lack coal which was mined for testing
is now awaiting transportation to the new highway.
Coal from the new mine has a calorific value of 5,500 to 7,000 calories.
The mine is to begin working early in 1952. To permit its thorough exploitation,
the Kreka directorate is considering constructing an industrial railroad from
Tuzla. to the mine. This railroad would be about 15 kilometers long and would
run along the stream valleys, thus eliminating all tunneling.
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