The leaders of the “Muntele” Union from Valea Jiului, which brings together the mining employees from the region, requested the Government to quickly create the Valea Jiului Energy Complex, which would include the Lupeni, Lonea, Livezeni and Vulcan mines, Perst Serv Branch and Paroşeni Thermal Power Plant.
According to a release sent by the National Trade Union Confederation (CSN) MERIDIAN, the request is part of a set of proposals for economic development of the Jiu Valley sent by the miners’ representatives from the region to the Prime Minister Ludovic Orban and Minister of Economy, Virgil Popescu, during a meeting that took place on Thursday in Lupeni between the two parties, according to Agerpres.
The document submitted by the Muntele Jiului Mountain Union and co-signed by CSN Meridian proposes “the rapid creation of the Valea Jiului Energy Complex, comprising the 4 mines (Lupeni and Lonea with state aid, Livezeni and Vulcan without state aid), Prest Serv Branch as well as the Paroşeni Thermal Power Plant, in which there will be built a gas group in addition to the coal one and a micro-hydropower plant, considering the dam on the Baleia stream in the Vulcan mountain. The rapid completion of feasibility studies and finding sources of financing for the completion of these investment objectives (gas group and micro hydropower plant) are necessary.”
Also, the miners from Valea Jiului request “the adoption in August at the level of the Romanian Government of the Memorandum by which the Lupeni and Lonea mines will operate according to the study made by the Polish Mining Research Institute GIG, at the indication of the European Commission, which reveals that the 2 mining operations must operate for another 6 years to secure the open reserves from the 2 operations, from the time of completion of the study (February 2019).”
A third proposal aims at the adoption by the Government by the end of the year of the Mining Law, and the fourth envisages the approval of the energy strategy at national level.
“…The adoption of the Mining Law by the end of the year, which is currently blocked. This law must include the concept of mine conservation for a period of at least 15 years from the time of cessation of activity. It is very important that this normative act clearly specify the sources of financing for mine conservation, start discussions with all stakeholders in order to substantiate and approve the Energy Strategy at national level, including clear elements on the evolution and functioning of each energy entity within the national energy system,” the document states.
The trade unionists also requested the payment of the outstanding wages for the employees of the Hunedoara Energy Complex.