The miners from Lonea continue the protest

The miners from Lonea didn’t enter the underground Thursday morning, and at their protest have also gathered the miners from Petrila mine.

The protesters remained during the night in front of the Nation Company of Coal, where there are in this moment a few hundred of miners who say that they will not leave until they receive their rights.

Their only complain has as target the respecting of an additional act at the collective contract of work, signed last month, after a similar protest, according to which their risk bonuses for underground work had to be indexed with 100 lei.

According to the legislation, this increase is equivalent with the minimum salary in the economy, updated from the beginning of this year, so there was not about a salary increase, but of the respecting of a normative act.

The negotiations held during Monday have failed because the Company administration cannot take any decision in this respect, a solution being expected from the Economy Ministry.

According to the free union president from Lonea mine, Tiberiu Cozma, it will take place a meeting today at 2 o’clock p.m., at Bucharest, with the heads of the thermals and also with the ones responsible of coal regarding the Giga calorie price, after the miners have requested more money for a tone of coal even since last year.

The price adjustment at coal would bring extra incomes to the company, which would apply therefore the requested increases of the salaries by the employees, based on the law.

Tiberiu Cozma also declared that the unions will sue the National Company of Coal for disregarding the collective contract of work.

The miners say that they don’t want to hear anymore of protocols and promises and they are decided to continue their protest in the street, where they are even in this moment, until they will receive their rights.

Since Monday morning, in Lonea mine, only the workers that assure the ventilation and the security of the mining work have entered the mine, but the production has been stopped.

Translated by Denisse-Meda Bucura

MTTLC, Bucharest University