Oct 9, 2023. Posted by Balkan Periscope - Hellas
The protest
of miners and energy workers from Maritsa East coal mining complex continues
for the eleventh consecutive day on October 9.
The roadblocks on Trakia motorway in the region of Stara Zagora, the Pass of the Republic and the road section in the region of Gurkovo remain in place.
Since
yesterday the protesters have been preparing for effective strike. This
decision was taken at an improvised meeting on the Trakia motorway near Stara
Zagora.
Their main
demand remains that the teeritorial just transition plans be withdrawn from the
European institutions and revised.
For an
effective strike to begin, more than 3,400 signatures need to be collected from
the miners and more than 50% of the workers at the power plants, after which
the date will be announced.
Until then,
the roadblocks remain in place. A national protest is being prepared for
Thursday.
"We're
moving to a petition - it has to get over 50% of the people and then we'll
proceed with these actions. We have the right to strike," explained Yancho
Petrov, CITUB trade union, Troyanovo pit.
"I
think they will support us. This is not the first time the mines have gone on
effective strikes, it's just the first time we are going out on the motorway,
but whether we are in Sofia or on the motorway, we have always defended our
demands," said Velina Stoyanova, who has worked at Maritsa East mines for
30 years.
The unions
estimate that the collection of signatures will take about two days.
Bnt
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