Underground strike: Twenty-six Ukrainian miners protest wage arrears

Twenty-six miners at the Nadiia coal mine in Ukraine's Lviv region five days ago refused to get out of the mine and have since stayed there, demanding that their wage arrears be paid off.

"Two miners were brought to the surface last evening due to deteriorating health condition," Mykhailo Volynets, leader of the Ukrainian miners' professional union, wrote on Facebook.

Read alsoWage arrears in Ukraine exceed $124 mlnAccording to Volynets, the Lvivoblenergo regional power distribution company warned the mine of an impending blackout over the debt accumulated.

"As I said yesterday, the miners are determined and have announced an underground hunger strike if the authorities fail to find mechanisms to resolve the crisis. Miners' families, just like they did yesterday, intend to block the motorway near the village of Soposhyn," he said.

Wage arrears to miners: background

• On August 28, 27 miners at the Nadiia mine were on strike underground, while 13 more people joined them on August 29.
• Volynets says the debt is due to the lack of payment from the enterprise's counterparts for raw material received.
• Energy Ministry representatives ran a detailed financial audit of the Nadiia mine, having revealed numerous violations by former management, in particular, coal sales at dumped prices.
• The ministry intends to forward the materials to law enforcement agencies.