Miners to get their back pay in three installments

The government will allocate money for the payment of back pay to the miners of the Hunedoara Energy Company, which will cover three-month pay and other benefits, Minister of Labour and Social Protection Raluca Turcan said on Monday at the end of a meeting miners' leader.

She added that on February 25 and 26 the miners will collect their back pay and other outstanding benefits such as meal vouchers and transport money.

She also voiced hope that the solutions put forth will determine the 70 miners who have barricaded themselves underground to decide to get out.

Several hundred Jiu Valley miners were waiting on Monday at noon in the courtyard of the administrative headquarters of the Hunedoara Energy Complex (CEH) in Petrosani for a response from the union leaders in Bucharest to negotiate the payment of back pay and outstanding benefits.

Miners from all quarries gathered in the CEH yard saying that they are standing in solidarity with their colleagues who have been barricaded themselves for six days in the underground Lupeni quarry.

Currently, according to general manager Samuel Dioane, CEH no longer has the revenues from the provision of system services or the closure aid for the Lonea quarry, which would make up about 7 million lei per month, given that the pay budget amounts to 12 million lei a month.