Solidarity head at PGG: If we are to reduce costs, unfortunately you need to release people

A quick amendment to the Mining Act is needed to start reducing costs in companies – said on Friday the chairman of Solidarity in the Polish mining group Bogusław Hutek. The amendment is to determine, among others The shape of shields of employees of liquidated mines.

The main assumptions of the draft amendment to the Act on the functioning of hard coal mining are to enable financing of benefits for employees of liquidated mining plants from budget subsidies and that the liquidation of mines will be conducted by mining entrepreneurs (who will be able to receive state subsidies for this purpose), and not, as before, by a restructuring company.

The chairman of the Hutek participated in the Friday, afternoon deliberations of the Tripartite Team for Social Security of Miners, with the participation of Industry Minister Marzena Czarnecka. At the briefing before the meeting, the minister reminded that Work on the draft amendment to the Mining Act is “on the last straight” – At the beginning of the week he was sent to the Standing Committee of the Council of Ministers, which could take care of him on July 7 this year.

In an interview with journalists, the head of Solidarity at PGG pointed out that the issue of adopting the amended law is currently “the most important thing for him.

Difficulties in mining are not only in PGG, but also in JSW, in PKW, Silesia, Bogdanka. If we are to reduce costs, unfortunately you have to release people – he admitted Hutek, reminding that in 2022-23, when there was a shortage of coal, only PGG accepted 3,500. people.

“Today you have to think about those who have rights to leave. Unfortunately, the laws are snails. The changes proposed by relationships and employers are not accepted – so now we do not know whether these 170,000 (value of one -time briefings – PAP), which are in the project, will be a signal for those young people who do not refine until retirement, that they can leave and look for another job somewhere” – he said.

As he reminded, the survey conducted in PGG shows that the company would be willing to leave about 13,000. people (at approx. 36,000 employees). “So that, unfortunately, we need the law, because even from the Bobrek mine (ending work at the end of this year – PAP) some people could leave” – ​​he admitted.

Hutek noted that work on the amendment to the mining law is delayed: when they started at the beginning of this year. It was assumed that she should come into force on July 1 this year. When asked about the expected pace of project procedure in parliament, he signaled that he had signals, that he could also support him with the greatest opposition forces.

The Hutek, asked to assess the current shape of the bill, assessed that it is crucial for it to come into force, so that you can start using shielding instruments. “Let her come in, let her do her at first glance, and then you have to look at it. After all, it can be amended, if of course there are funds for it” – he pointed out.

He emphasized that shielding instruments for reduction of crews are necessary today because “everything is curling”. He reminded that, according to the strategies adopted by energy companies in 2030, they will need about 6 million tons of energy coal (with last year's mining of 44 million tons of all species).

“What about the rest of the extraction, where to sell this coal, place?” – asked the chairman of Solidarity in PGG. At the same time, he reserved that energy companies “with stubborn maniac” invest in gas sources.

“We see what is happening. As if Iran closed the Strait of Ormuz, we do not have gas from runny nose. All you have to do is pass one ship of the shadow fleet (anchor – PAP) along the Baltic Sea and there is no Baltic Pipe. The question is what next?” – said Bogusław Hutek.

In the course of consultation of the mining law, numerous comments were received. They concerned, among others Extensions of mining vacation tools, increasing the value of one -off check -in while leaving them not taxes or expanding the subsidy catalog for the liquidation of mines with marked parts of the plants and unnecessary assets.

In response to Companies' comments in the next version of the project published at the end of April, among others The value of one -off briefings from 120 thousand increased. PLN to 170 thousand PLN (in the course of recent arrangements, it was proposed to exempt the severance pay from income tax).

The possibility of using mining leaves within the plants was also expanded – in the original version it only included liquidated plants, in the present they are all plants of companies covered by the new support system (Polish Grupa Górnicza, Southern Coal concern, Węglokoks Country). The length of leave was left – up to four years for underground employees and up to three years for processing employees.

In addition, the project involves enabling the transfer (by way of donation) of real estate and movable property to mining entrepreneurs for the implementation of public purposes or to build, expand and maintain drainage systems of liquidated plants, for a wide catalog of entities from the public sector.

Another change in the original project involves enabling all mining enterprises to extract methane from hard carbon decks without the obligation to obtain a concession.

The Ministry of Industry assumed that the amendment would enter into force on January 1, 2026. PGG had previously sought to set the deadline on June 30 this year. indicating that she had already foreseen this year the activities related to the start of the merger of the Bielszowice and Halemba mine in one move. (PAP)

MTB/ DRAG/