More than 200 Polish miners obstructed Russian coal trains at the border in northeast Poland, threatening that any future trains will also be stopped, to protest the “dumping” of Russian coal imports that are hurting Poland’s struggling mining industry.
The Russian coal was stopped at the Polish-Russian border
crossing at Braniewo-Mamonowo, and was led by mining union
leaders, local Polish media reported Wednesday.
“We can block the passage until the end of the week, we want
to bring attention to the mining and energy security,”
Stanislaw Kłysz, a representative from the national trade union
Solidarity told Polish radio, Polish Press Agency reported.
Protests will continue throughout the week and on October 1
demonstration is planned in Warsaw.
The miners were from Silesia in southwest Poland, PAP reported.
Poland is a major producer of coal, but still imports about 10
million tons per year from Russia and the Czech Republic. The
country also exports 10.6 million tons.
Kompania Weglowa, the largest coal mine in Poland, says it has 5
million tons of unsold coal, which the union workers blame on the
flood of Russian imports. The overproduction is adding to
pressure on labor costs and a decrease in prices and demand,
which led to Kompania Weglowa suffering losses of 145 million
euro last year.
“Right now around 80 percent of tenders for coal supplies to
units run from the state budget are won by suppliers of imported
coal, because they offer dumping prices,” said Jaroslaw
Grzesik, leader of the mining Solidarity union.
Poland’s dominant coal industry provides over 55 percent of
primary energy demand, with about 90 percent of electricity
sourced from the fossil fuel in 2013.
Earlier this year, Poland floated the idea of placing an embargo
on the import of Russian coal, to protect local miners.
“For months, the government promised to settle the issue of
imported Russian coal and concessions on trade in raw materials.
And, as usual, they haven’t done anything,” Dominik Kolorz,
leader of the Solidarity Union in the Slasko- Dabrowskie said, as
quoted by PAP.
Kolorz threatened imports will be blocked until the government
starts listening to the demands of the coal miners.
The Braniewo-Mamonowo border handles both passenger and freight
trains.
Article source: http://rt.com/business/190308-polish-miners-blockade-coal-border/
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