About us

Logo23

Select language

Ukraine: miners defy strike ban and go on strike

we have received the following information about this article from our miners in Ukraine: "I have carefully investigated the situation in our mine 9. Unfortunately, it turned out that it was far from being as simple as described in the article. This mine is state-owned and controlled by the Ministry of Energy. The ministry has appointed a new director and the old director has organised resistance. This struggle has been exacerbated by the fact that money from the budget is allocated for the purchase of coal and the mine has the opportunity to earn and extract coal.

In other words, we see that this is not a struggle for workers' rights, but a struggle between directors over who will rob the mine when the money comes in. Of course, it is easier for the old director to get some of the workers on his side. Unfortunately, it is a typical situation in Ukraine when the struggle of different factions for control of the state mines is presented as the "workers' struggle" of the miners themselves. With proletarian greetings" This shows how complicated the situation in Ukraine is for the miners and how important it is to be clear about what is behind things. Here this article:

 As we have learned from the news service openDemocracy, miners called a strike on 14 September. The strike at the No. 9 mine in the town of Novovolynsk is the first major workers' protest in Ukraine since the Ukrainian government imposed martial law, which bans all protests and strikes. The miners prevented the hiring of a new director last month. The reason was that he was linked to an embezzlement scandal at another mine in the region. Allegedly, the appointment was made on the instructions of the local Smotriashchiy - a term for the network of corrupt unofficial supervisors in the Ukrainian coal sector. For the miners, efforts to take control of the mine have reached a new level and the miners have gone on strike to protect their jobs and working conditions. Volodymyr Zelensky had announced at the beginning of his term that he would stamp out corruption in the coal sector. Workers at Mine No. 9 link the recent appointments to the possible return of corrupt practices. But also with plans to close the No. 9 mine in 2023. The miners describe hair-raising events. For example, on 9 September, a new manager arrived at the No. 9 mine with a lawyer and a dozen private security guards. At that time, the acting director, Volodymyr Yurkiv, was holding a meeting. The new manager, Serhiy Trotsko, tried to remove Yurkiv and the others from the office. Trotsko justified his behaviour by saying that he had been newly appointed by the Ukrainian Energy Ministry, but did not think it necessary to show a copy of the appointment certificate. according to Yurkiv. (The ministry confirmed to openDemocracy on 14 September that it had appointed Trotsko). A confrontation then broke out between the miners and Trotsko and his security team. Yurkiv was demoted to chief engineer by the ministry in August after an earlier protest. He criticised Trotsko's appointment for not following due process and for entering Mine No. 9 without an order. Trotsko told local media outlet Bug that he had brought private security guards to the No. 9 mine in Novovolynsk "so that no physical force" would be used against him. He further claimed that the protests at the No. 9 mine were instigated by a "certain group of miners" for whom a change of management would mean the end of their jobs. According to the Ministry of Energy, the No. 9 mine has almost exhausted its projected coal reserves. The mine is scheduled to close in 2023 - and miners fear that changes in management could lead to an earlier closure. Andriy Syniuk, the head of the ministry's coal industry department, told openDemocracy that he and his department "have nothing to do with the situation at the No. 9 mine". Syniuk already accompanied a proposed new manager, Viktor Herashchenko, to Novovolynsk on 2 August - but workers blocked their way to the mine. The miners collectively distrusted Trotsko at a general meeting on 9 September in the presence of the new director. Trotsko then called the police to file a complaint for obstructing his work. The main office of the state police in the Volyn region told openDemocracy that the police had opened an investigation into alleged obstruction of legitimate business activities at Mine No. 9. Speaking to openDemocracy, Trotsko said he had hired the lawyer and the private security team himself. Both the management of the No. 9 mine and Mykhailo Volynets of the miners' union were disappointed that they could not reach the Energy Ministry. Volynets even filed an official complaint with the Ukrainian law enforcement authorities about Trotsko's attempt to take over. He sees a connection with the Ukrainian government's announcement of a 2.5 billion hryvnia (£58 million) fund to buy coal for the winter season, which is expected to put a significant strain on the country's heating systems. Zelensky's promise to stamp out corruption has given the workers of the No. 9 mine hope for the future, Yurkiv says, adding that the miners want to return to work "on the condition that [Trotsko] leaves. ... I am not trying to keep my job - that would be a wrong impression. I want [the No. 9 mine] to stay alive and, most importantly, to function." This is not the first time Trotsko has tried to take a leadership position in the coal industry and met resistance. Three years ago, with the help of a lawyer who travelled to the site, he tried to get a post as director of Lvivvuhillia, the state coal company in the Lviv region. He failed after coal workers prevented him from entering the building. The mobilisation at the No. 9 mine is not the only protest in the coalfields of western Ukraine during the Russian invasion of the country. In early September, workers at the Nadiya mine in the Lviv region protested after Trotsko, who had worked at the mine for 17 years, introduced a new manager. As a result, a group of six miners refused to come to the surface for three days. Support the struggle of the Ukrainian miners and write letters of solidarity to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. We will gladly forward them to our contacts in Ukraine