The workers of Republika Thermal Power Plant and Min Industry mining company in Pernik organized a warning protest on Monday against the closure of the coal power plants and mines. Dozens of employees in the industry came out to express support for their colleagues from the Stara Zagora region and the Maritsa basin.
Toplofikatsia Pernik CEO Chavdar Stoynev said that the protest is peaceful and aims to express the disagreement of the energy workers and miners from the region with the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP), which describes that by 2027 the heating plant in the regional town will be closed if it does not start using alternative energy resources.
"The transition is a long and complex process. Any new facility requires a lot of work and time, and also a lot of coordination with institutions," Stoynev explained.
Representatives of the trade unions affiliated to Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria - Iliana Velkova and Yulian Georgiev also expressed their position on the issue. They confirmed their support for the protest and expressed their adamant refusal against the rapid implementation of the prepared Territorial Just Transition Plans (TJTP).
"The mine alone employs 400 people. How will so many families be able to quickly move to other jobs? We are also worried about the fact that all schools, kindergartens and hospitals in the town are powered by Respublika TPP. What will happen to them if the company stops work? Let's think about how to make this transition fairer and smoother for the people," Velkova said.
According to her, if Pernik TPP closes down, not only the workers there will suffer, but also the users of the service. Another problem, which protesters believe will inevitably occur if the thermal power plant closes and many households switch to heating with different appliances, is that the power grid will not be able to withstand the load.
Energy workers and miners in the South West coal region have drawn up a protest statement demanding the renegotiation of the NRRP in the Energy section and keeping the coal plants in operation until 2038.
Energy workers and miners in Pernik have announced that if the TJTPs are not adjusted, they are ready to move to effective strike action.
/RY/
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