Leaders of miners protesting in underground of Paroseni,Uricani mines invited at Victoria Governmental Palace

A delegation made up of representatives of the miners who are protesting on Sunday, for the seventh consecutive day, in the underground of Paroseni and Uricani coal mines in Jiu Valley is expected on Monday morning at the Victoria Governmental Palace and, afterwards, at the Energy Ministry headquarters, in the attempt to find a solution to the miners' demands. "We have been invited by the Labour Minister to a discussion with Mrs. Prime Minister Viorica Dancila. We will go because we want to see what can be done for the miners who are to be laid off. We are demanding a normative act similar to Ordinance No.36. If an Emergency Ordinance cannot be issued, than, a legislative initiative should be filed in Parliament and, as far as we know, such draft law exists. Promoted as a matter of urgency, in a week, the draft law can become law and should solve the injustice done to these people," President of the "Huila" Trade Union Laszlo Domokos told AGERPRES on Sunday. The delegation of miners is expected afterwards at the Energy Ministry headquarters, where the Board of Administration of the National Jiu Valley Mine Closures (SNIMVJ) is to convene. According to the trade union leader, the members of the Board of Administration should also take note of Director Pavel Draghici's resignation. On Monday, almost a hundred miners of Paroseni and Uricani coal mines in Jiu Valley barricaded themselves underground. The protesters demand an extension of Ordinance No.36 or the issuance of a similar normative act, which would allow the laid-off persons to benefit from additional incomes and seniority in work for another 22 months in case they meet the retirement requirements or the employment at the mines of the Hunedoara Energy Compound of those who cannot retire yet. The underground protest of the two mines has become the longest of this kind, in last 15 years of mining in the Jiu Valley, according to the trade unions. The two mines are part of the National Jiu Valley Mine Closures, from where almost 280 persons would be laid off by the end of this year. The laid-off persons would receive on 1 December the notices of termination of employment relationships. AGERPRES (RO - author: Sorin Blada, editor: Florin Marin; EN - editor: Rodica State)