“The occupiers want to get miners to file cases against Ukraine in international courts”

About 60 percent of Ukraine’s mines, amounting to over 80 businesses, are located in areas under the control of the “Donetsk People’s Republic” (DNR) and “Luhansk People’s Republic” (LNR). It is estimated that 17 mines will not work again, since shelling has destroyed their vitally important systems. The data were announced by first deputy chairman of the Independent Trade Union of Miners of Ukraine Anatolii Akimochkin at a press conference held by the Donetsk Press Club.

Mines of the Donbas received state funding until August, even in the territories occupied by the militants. In general, about 13 billion hryvnias in public funding were allocated for the coal industry this year, with the bulk of that money intended to pay miners’ wages. According to Akimochkin, use of these funds was strictly controlled. The mines, in their turn, shipped coal under contracts as late as this summer.

“The coal businesses stopped operating in August, when combat operations grew more active. Since then, the mines have operated only to keep vital systems working, for example, they have kept pumping water out of the mines. The mines have not received any public funding since August. All these companies have three months worth of wage arrears now,” Akimochkin noted.

The mines in the territories controlled by the Ukrainian authorities, for example in Lysychansk, Vuhledar, Artemivsk, are operating and receiving funding on time. Also, companies Sverdlovantratsyt and Rovenkyantratsyt keep operating in the occupied territories, and their employees get paid. These two companies are controlled by the SCM group.

“The areas of so-called republics stand for major employment cuts at state-owned mines, as about 30 to 40 percent will likely be fired in order to reduce costs of supporting the industry,” Akimochkin remarked. Experts believe that the mines will not survive without funding from Ukraine. However, many state-owned enterprises have registered with the so-called republics. Still, Akimochkin emphasized that no one had canceled their registration in Ukraine and coal companies never transferred any funds to the DNR and LNR.

Illegal mines, so-called kopanky, keep operating in the self-proclaimed republics. Moreover, the price of their output increased due to diminished supply of coal for household consumption, while people living in the warzone often use stove heating. So, while a ton of coal from the illegal mines cost less than 1,000 hryvnias before, it is priced at 1,700 to 1,800 hryvnias now.

COMMENTARY

Mykola VOLYNKO, chairman of the Independent Trade Union of Miners of the Donbas:

“The coal enterprises in the occupied territories do not operate, they just try to survive. Miners’ wages are in arrears, but it came through no fault of Ukraine. All blame should be laid at the feet of the DNR and LNR. The self-proclaimed ‘republics’ are planning to create a coal company of their own and forcing people to write letters of resignation. Moreover, the occupiers want to get miners to file cases against Ukraine in international courts, ostensibly dealing with payment arrears.

“Miners are concerned about what labor code will be in force in the so-called republics. Demons making up the DNR and LNR authorities offer Belarusian, Russian, and Kazakh codes to choose from. However, the Russian Labor Code, for example, has no provisions for ‘severance payments,’ ‘disability compensation’ and so on. How it will all be done in practice, I do not know. One thing is certain: the miners went to the ‘referendum’ and got these headaches. Their attitude to the so-called republics has changed since, but so what? The republics have weapons against the miners’ bare hands. The coal enterprises in the DNR and LNR can be destroyed and closed.

“Communication between the mines in the occupied territories and Ukraine is almost absent. Some were forced to, others deliberately refuse to obey the Ukrainian laws. It is not clear how Ukraine is to support the mines in the areas controlled by DNR and LNR. I doubt that Ukrainian money will reach individual miners under current conditions.”