Miners continuing underground protest

Over 100 miners of the Paroseni and Uricani coal mines in Jiu Valley are continuing their protest in the underground of the two mines, for the second day in a row, not satisfied with the fact that there are no compensatory solutions for employees who will be laid off early next year. 

The protesters demand an extension to Ordinance 36, which guarantees them compensatory payments and two-year job seniority to those who meet the retirement requirements in the meantime, as well as the employment at the mines of the Hunedoara Energy Compound of those who are not pensionable yet. 

"The protest is going on. In the underground of the Paroseni mine there are 60 miners, and at Uricani there are 42. Some of the people underground also provided security for the mining operations, carrying out the necessary inspections of the main installations, such as the ones from the access well; water was evacuated from galleries; gas concentration was measured from the galleries," Chairman of the Huila Miners' Trade Unions Laszlo Domokos tells AGERPRES. 

According to the union leader, two of the protesting miners were forced out of the underground for health reasons, one of them being taken by ambulance after spitting blood. 

A delegation of trade unionists and representatives for the management of the National Jiu Valley Mine Closures (SNIMVJ) are expected today to join a meeting of the Social Dialogue Commission of the Hunedoara Prefecture. 

In late December 2017, the Paroseni and Uricani mines were include in a programme of closure and greening. In 2018 and 2019, works were carried out to secure the coal deposits and drain away water from the galleries. 

In 2020, the main fan station should be stopped and ramps and the underground connections with the surface should be closed.