In the past three months two Chinese citizens died on Bar – Boljare highway construction sites, and one was seriously injured. The incidents raise the question of whether workers have been provided with adequate safety conditions. China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) told CDM the company is sorry for the deaths but that unfortunately in such complex projects, accidents happen. The Prosecutor’s Office has clarified there is no guilt involved in the Klopot tunnel accident, while an investigation on the second fatal case is underway.
CRBC says all occupational safety measures are being applied on about 40 active Bar – Boljare highway construction sites.
“We are terribly sorry for the two fatal accidents. Therefore, the company is investing efforts to help the families of the late workers to get over the situation,” the company says.
However, the Construction and Building Materials Industry Union of Montenegro says CRBC measures are not adequate and do not comply with national and EU standards.
This information, says the union president Nenad Markovic, comes from the World Construction Union. He says this has clearly been shown to be true considering the fatalities and injury, and that there are most certainly many other unreported lighter injuries.
The Montenegrin union indicated it tried without success to establish cooperation with CRBC.
CRBC confirmed it had considered this unnecessary, pointing out that it was a non-unionised company and therefore, under no obligation to join any syndicates.
