Warsaw, today, 12:00. The capital of Poland faces another possibly paralyzing protest. Miners from the Free Trade Union "August 80" come to Warsaw to express their outrage and ask uncomfortable questions about the National Reconstruction Plan (KPO) and the future of their earnings. The action, which will start at noon, is expected to gather respective 100 trade unionists, and it is possible to join another groups, including farmers, which could importantly affect traffic in the city center. Their main nonsubjective is to challenge government policy on financing the energy transition and defending jobs. RMF FM reporter, Marcin Buczek, reports that about 70 people have already left the Staszic mine itself in Katowice and akin trips have taken place in another regions. The protest is to be a loud signal of opposition to plans which, according to miners, endanger their entities and Polish energy industry.
Why are miners protesting? The main charges and the rate
The 'August 80' protest is aimed at circumstantial individuals and policies. The trade union was targeted by Przemysław Motyka, accused of seeking to change the key Social Agreement on the transformation of mining, and Katarzyna Pełczyńska-Nałęcz, who is accused of insufficient control over expenses from the National Reconstruction Plan. Miners don't hide that their action is simply a fight for the future of the manufacture and decent working conditions. "Without miners there is no energy, without energy there is no Poland, we are going to fight for our own" – the trade unionists write, stressing the fundamental importance of the sector for the country's energy security. Their determination stems from a sense of threat to the stableness of employment and the level of pay they claim to be subject to unjustified attacks by politicians.
KPO on target: Where is the money and what is it going for?
One of the key points of the dispute is the way funds are managed from the National Recovery Plan. Miners request transparency and circumstantial explanationsexactly what billions of PLN are spent on. Rafał Jedwabny of "August 80" in a conversation with Marcin Buczek with RMF FM powerfully contradicts the general claims that the State Treasury pays for coal mining. "First of all, we would like to point out and show this lie, which the Minister and Minister Motyka are telling, that we are contributing so much PLN billion to mining. We do not contribute to mining, we pay – the Treasury pays – for the fact that we destruct mining. No 1 pays for a miner who works hard," says Jedwabny. Unionists accuse politicians of "looking into miners' pockets" and "a waste of resources from the KPO", which is to prove deficiency of respect for hard work and ignoring the real problems of the industry.
Future of mining earnings and Social Agreement in question
The central point of concern for miners is discussions about the possible simplification of their earnings and changes in the Social Agreement, which guarantees the conditions of energy transformation in Poland. The trade union of 'August 80' powerfully declares that They won't be under pressure. and will not let their future to be "sold for European silverware". Their protest is intended to be a clear signal that workers in the mining sector are ready to fight for their rights and agreed terms. The claims of alleged ‘addition’ to mining are for them a false communicative to discredit their positions and justify adverse changes. For many miners, unchangeable earnings and certainty of next day are crucial, and any effort to undermine them is confronted with immediate and decisive opposition.
Where precisely will the protest take place and what are the plans?
Miners from “August 80” began their protest in Warsaw at noon. The main place of their manifestation will be Polish 2050 parliamentary offices, which clearly indicates the political nature of the actions and direct appeal to the representatives of that group. Organizers announce that today's action is not the last. Further actions are planned to put force on the government and to get concrete answers to the questions asked. The possible for farmers to join the protest may increase its scale and affect greater communication difficulties in the capital. The inhabitants of Warsaw should be prepared for possible roadblocks and detours, especially in the vicinity of the planned assembly places, which is simply a direct consequence of the determination of miners in the fight for their rights and the future of Polish energy.
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The miners are moving to Warsaw. They request an explanation of KPO and their salaries!
