Bring Order to Energy Market

Chornobyl nuclear power plant staff has received no pay at all this year and the state also owes them two and a half months wages and salaries from 1998. After their autumnal picketing the Cabinet promised to pay up before January 1, 1999.

"Ukraine's energy market is practically uncontrolled," says Yevhen Kozlov, acting chairman of the plant labor union (well, the market is controlled, but not for the plant people's benefit - Ed.). The regional power companies collect money from consumers and use it for their needs, so we get nothing in the end."

The situation in the nuclear power industry remains utterly confused. No one knows exactly who is responsible for nuclear safety in Ukraine. The Enerhoatom national company, after Nur Nihmatulin was fired, remains headless. Volodymyr Horbulin, secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, is off on vacation, and the Energy Industry Minister's portfolio has remained unclaimed for over two weeks.

"This strike of nuclear workers may have totally unpredictable consequences," The Day was told by Vitaly Tovstonohov, head of a Chornobyl plant subdivision. "Lowering output capacity will result in a breakdown, and even worse so, in casualties. Ukrainian nuclear workers are demanding not only wages from the government. They are just as interested in debts being paid to the nuclear power stations because without this it is impossible to maintain safe operation of the entire nation's nuclear power grid. But I don't believe that this strike will change anything in the current situation. Such issues can be resolved only at the government level. Unfortunately, if the Chornobyl personnel make up their minds to join the strike I won't be able stop them."

If their demands are not satisfied we will have to shorten the period of rest between operating shifts, but if the situation does not change in several days the operating personnel will give up their days off until the strike begins.

Serhiy Parashyn, former manager of the Chernobyl facility, thinks, "It is absolutely clear that if the operating personnel refuses rest, people from the nuclear safety control authority will not be able to work. And what happens then? Hence, I am strongly opposed to all those people wearing white coats striking on city streets. Nuclear workers have no right to think about themselves only and blackmail the rest of society."

The issue of a general strike is to be discussed by nuclear workers today. According to the Central Committee of the Nuclear Power and Industrial Trade Unions, this strike will support the Power Industry and Electrical Engineering Union. Nuclear power workers also do not rule out the possibility of tent town hunger strikes as part of the protest action.