Czech Coal unions protest plans to scale down mining

Prague, Oct 31 (CTK) - Trade unions from the Czech Coal mining firm demonstrated against an amendment to the mining law abolishing expropriation of land over mining that is yet to be signed by President Vaclav Klaus, outside the Government Office yesterday.

Organisers say the protest was attended by some 2000 people. The police have confirmed the figure.

The event was also attended by representatives of towns and villages from the Usti Region and a delegation of mining unions from Ostrava, north Moravia.

The unions say mining will be gradually scaled down and people will lose jobs in north Bohemia [where the unemployment rate is one of the highest in the country].

The environmental organisation Greenpeace, however, says the unions are not fighting for jobs, but for the firm's management and for lifting current coal mining territorial limits, Greenpeace spokesman Jan Rovensky said.

He said more than 13,000 people were dismissed from Czech Coal in the past, but the unions were silent in most cases.

Now they repeatedly demonstrate over the abolition of some 800 jobs, Rovensky said.

Jiri Cinger, an initiator of yesterday's protest, told CTK that other miners from the Usti Region, where coal mining is very intensive, will also stage demonstrations.

The amendment to the mining law was passed by the Chamber of Deputies in end-September. It will take effect when Klaus signs it.