REUTERS
The president emphasized that not a single mine can be closed until miners get new jobs with decent pay.
The main principle of the National Program for the Fair Transformation of Coal Regions, which the Ministry of Community and Territory Development is working on, is that no mine can be shut down until the miners get new jobs with decent pay, says Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Speaking at the All-Ukrainian meeting of coal industry workers in Ukraine, Zelensky said: "The transformation of coal regions must be fair, and this is not a matter of one day, it is a long process, during which coal will be in demand. Gradually we must create economic opportunities for the development of coal regions. To this end, the Ministry will develop a National Program for the Fair Transformation of Coal Regions."
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"Its main principle is that no mine can be closed or liquidated until people get new, safe jobs with decent pay," he said.
According to Zelensky, the program should also address the issue of miners' access to education through setting up a scholarship fund.
The president also commissioned an audit of schools in mining towns.
As UNIAN reported earlier, the Ministry of Energy and Environmental Protection is looking for new jobs for miners, since coal mining is seem as unprofitable and harming the environment.