Tires have been burning for ten days: Volyn miners are demanding their back wages be returned
The protest of miners of mine No. 9 “Novovolynskaya” continues for the tenth day. Now they are picketing the building of the State Enterprise “Volynugol”, they brought barrels and tires, a PolitNavigator correspondent reports.
This was announced by the Chairman of the Independent Trade Union of Miners of Ukraine Mikhail Volynets on your page on the social network Facebook.
“In addition to paying off arrears of wages, the miners are demanding the dismissal of the acting General Director of the State Enterprise “Volynugol” Andrei Pilipyuk, who is a protege of the “supervisor” Andrei Vengrin in the mines of Volyn... It is possible that the miners of the Buzhanskaya mine will soon also begin a protest. The salary arrears amount to about 50% for the month of July,” the message says.
The Volyn Regional State Administration has already commented on the situation. In particular, on September 5, the governor of the region, Alexander Savchenko, met with the head of mine No. 9 “Novovolynskaya” Vladimir Yurkiv, the chairman of the primary organization of the NPGU of the mine Vasily Gura and the mine workers, as reported on the governor's social media page.
Gura said that 7,5 thousand tons of coal had accumulated in the mine’s warehouse, which could be sold and made money. However, the temperature there rises, and there is a threat of spontaneous combustion, which will lead to large losses.
“Today the “supervisor,” Mr. Andrey Vengrin, called the mine and said that we owe him 5 million hryvnia. They existed under Yanukovych and still exist today. The state does not give money, we earn it ourselves, but we are not paid even that. We don’t know how to continue to work,” said the chairman of the primary organization of the NPGU mine.
Governor Savchenko, in turn, noted that this is not the first time he has met with miners and does not understand why they should follow the lead of some “supervisor.”
“There is no such position. I call him a bandit,” said the chairman of the Regional State Administration and advised the miners to defend themselves.
In turn, the head of the Yurkiv mine said that the problem with paying wages arose artificially due to the policy of the Volynugol State Enterprise, because the mine produced coal, the sale of which covers losses on wages and electricity. In addition, miners complain that the mine is now operating without the appropriate permission to develop subsoil.
According to the press service of the Regional State Administration, the head of the region said that he was ready to write letters to the Minister of Energy and Coal Industry and the Prime Minister regarding the independent shipment of coal by the mine, taking into account the high corruption components. He also instructed to prepare an appeal to the prosecutor’s office and the police regarding this situation, and advised the trade union of mine No. 9 “Novovolynskaya” to prepare a lawsuit against the management of the Volynugol State Enterprise.
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