Bulgarian Gorubso Miners to Get Paid by End of Week

Striking miners in southern Bulgaria complain of grave violations of labor relations, including salary payment delays for months, inadequate working clothes and safety conditions. Photo by BGNES

Delayed salaries of miners from Bulgaria's metal mines of Gorubso-Madan will be paid by the end of the week.

The promise was made Tuesday morning by concessionaire Valentin Zahariev, speaking in an interview for the private TV channel bTV.

Zahariev explained that the poor financial state of the company was the reason for the delay, saying the management was replaced in February while the miners' strike hurdles the effort to overcome the negative effect of the global financial and economic crisis.

He denied reports that the miners have not received pay in the last six months and stated that they were owed money only for December and January. Salaries went down slightly over the effort to make the business more effective, said he, but stressed wages went up twice in the last 6 years.

Zahariev further informed that 2011 had been the worst so far for the extraction of concentrate from ore.

Meanwhile, after the interview, protesting miners in Madan accused him of lying and announced they were going to stop their children from attending school classes, saying the kids were hungry and thirsty and ashamed to not have any allowance.

The miners insist they have not received salaries since May, 2011.

Their labor union had sent a written request to Education Minister, Sergey Ignatov, to let the children go on official school break over the lack of money, something Ignatov, speaking for the Bulgarian National Radio, BNT, rejected.

The miners, who have been staging protest rallies for two weeks now, are asking Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov, to interfere in person to help them receive the pay owed to them.

They requested earlier that the state terminate the contract with Zahariev, who is operating the mines as well as the non-ferrous mill in the city of Kardzhali, where salaries are missing too. They reminded that in 2011 the Bulgarian government had already warned that it will terminate the contract with the Gorubso-Madan operator due to similar violations.

The now dismissed Bulgarian Economy and Energy Minister, Traicho Traikov traveled to Madan to meet with the protesters and discuss their demands. Bulgarian Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Totyu Mladenov also met them and supported their call to oust Zahariev if he does not cover his responsibilities.

Before being let go, the Economy Minister announced he was planning to withdraw the concession, but pointed out that the process could last for months and during this period there would be no guarantee the workers will have a fixed income thus the parties must use all opportunities to resolve the outstanding issue.

It was reported meanwhile that Zahariev was called Tuesday to hold an emergency meeting with Finance Minister, Simeon Djankov. If Gorubso Madan is to declare bankruptcy, the State can only pay miners BGN 1 000 each in compensation.

We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria! Thank you!