. How much does the employer pay him? Mine refuses to

How much does the employer pay him? Mine refuses to raise the salary. Сколько платит ему работодатель? Шахта отрицается увеличивать заработную плату.

There are two articles in English. A / an is indefinite article. The is definite article. The is used when the noun is already known. In this sentence the speech is about the employers salary.  Thats why we use definite article.