MORE THAN 100 BULGARIAN MINERS REMAINED UNDERGROUND TO PROTEST DELAYED PAY

For more than 24 hours, over 100 miners from Babinio mine of Bobov Dol mining complex did not come out of their shift on 12th of October as a sign of protest over unpaid and delayed wages. Their colleagues from other shifts staged a protest outside the administrative building. They say that the miners who did not come out expressed readiness to remain underground until Friday and Saturday, 14th and 15th of October.

The reasons for the protest are delayed payments of remunerations, reduced wages and allowances such as food vouchers and transport. In addition to the demands about regular pay, the miners also demand to have clarity about the future of the mine and payment of indemnities in case of lay-offs.

The miners protesting outside the administrative building are collecting money to provide food and drinks for their colleagues. They complained that they had not seen representatives of the trade unions and felt no support.

Yordan Peichev, a pensioner from Babino mine says that there was an intention for closing down the mine although there are coal reserves in it.

The administrative management of Bobov Dol mining complex assigned Atanas Kaptiev, the Head of Babino mine to ask some of the miners to come out and talk with the management. The miners refused. Their demands are for regular payment of wages and social allowances, as well as full indemnity in the event of lay-offs.

The owner of Bobov Dol mining complex informed in a letter this morning, that he would withdraw his intention to terminate the concession agreement for coal mining, the minister of energy Temenuzhka Petkova said.

The state is able to provide jobs and re-qualify the miners if there are lay-offs, the social minister Zornitsa Russinova said.

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