Approximately one thousand miners from Gorj are protesting today, March 24, in Piața Victoriei, dissatisfied with the loss of jobs and the fact that the new collective agreement has not yet been signed. The people demand the intervention of the Government and the renegotiation of the assumed deadlines for the closure of the mining.
PHOTO: Facebook/ Romanian Chronicle
About a thousand miners left Gorj for Bucharest, where they participated in a protest organized in front of the Government. The demonstration, scheduled to start at noon, is authorized until 5:00 p.m. and would gather not only employees from the mining sector, but also supporters from the Capital, according to the Gorjeanul publication.
Some of the protesters started from Târgu Jiu, and on the route they are joined by other employees of the Oltenia Energy Complex, including from Rovinari and Turceni.
Dissatisfaction with jobs and the collective agreement
The miners are outraged that many of their colleagues are at risk of losing their jobs. In addition, the new collective labor agreement has not yet been signed. The representatives of the Oltenia Energy Complex say that the negotiations have started, but were delayed due to the lack of budget.
The situation is especially critical for approximately 1,800 employees who have fixed-term contracts and for whom April 1 could mean the last day of work.
Appeal to the Government: renegotiation of the terms of the PNRR
Among the main demands is the abandonment of the plan to close the mining activity by 2030, a term stipulated in the commitments undertaken by Romania through the PNRR. The miners ask Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan to renegotiate these conditions with the European Commission.
Protesters point out that mining is a strategic sector and warn that if current plans are implemented, the industry could disappear completely after 2030.
