Delegates from the Energoatom National Energy Company and a plenum from
the Trade Union of Nuclear Energy Employees decided to postpone their picketing
at the Cabinet of Ministers building and a protest march through Khreshchatyk.
450 representatives of all five Ukrainian nuclear plants took part at the
plenum, which also included Vice Prime Minister Petro Biloblotsky, Minister
of Energy Oleksiy Sheberstov and Energoatom president Nuri Nigmatulin.
Oleksiy Lych, Head of the united trade union committee at the Energoatom
National Energy Company, told The Day that the workers' main demand
is payment of three to five months worth of back wages which total approximately
Hr 120 million. Lych added that the trade union considers Energoatom unable
to resolve the problem. During a similar plenum back in June, participants
were promised to receive their wages by September 1.
Nuri Nigmatulin explained that wage arrears are a result of the number
of outstanding electricity bills. According to him, energy giant Ukrenergo
alone owes Energoatom over Hr 1.6 billion. Nigmatulin thinks the plants
themselves may take certain measures which will force debtors to pay their
bills, and can sell 12% of all produced electricity at their disposal in
a more efficient way.
According to IAEA data, 60% of the safe functioning of a nuclear plant
is dependent upon its personnel. Depression and physical exhaustion among
miners, along with their neglect for safety regulations, cause tragic explosions
in mines. One can only imagine what a similar situation among nuclear plant
employees can lead to.







