MINERS FROM OBROCHISHTE MINE CANCELLED THE HUNGER STRIKE

The miners from "Obrochiste" mine cancelled the hunger strike on 23rd of March, because the Order issued by the employer on not allowing the workers inside the mine was revoked.

However, the protest will continue until their demands are fulfilled.

40 miners, who have been on a hunger strike since 22nd of March, left the pit and those scheduled to be on shift today went inside it. The miners, however, are adamant that they will not start work until they reach an agreement with the employer for wage increase, payment without delays and restoring the practice of free-of-charge transport.

Early in the morning on 23rd of March, Bulgaria’s national ombudsperson, Maya Manolova, arrived at the mine to meet with the protesting workers. She said she would do everything possible to arrange a meeting between the workers and the concessioner in order to reach an agreement between them.

“What I heard from the workers and from my observation of the situation, it is more than worrying. I cannot agree that a remuneration of 460 BGN, which is the size of the minimum wage in the country, is normal for working underground. This is a manganese mine, one of the four in the world, which should be in good operation to provide very good economic results, so that the mine be developed, have investments and miners get good wages," Manolova said.