President of Ukraine

President: Coal industry reform will be discussed with miners

6 February 2020 - 18:18

President: Coal industry reform will be discussed with miners

During a working trip to the Lviv region, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited Mezhyrichanska mine of Lvivvugillya state enterprise in Chervonohrad. The Head of State got himself acquainted with the work of the mine control unit and inspected the industrial site.

During a conversation with Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the miners complained about wage arrears.

The Head of State stressed that by the end of February the current debts at this mine should be paid.

"By the end of February, we have to pay more than 22 million (UAH - ed.) at this mine," Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

In addition, the President noted that any government initiatives on the coal industry reform would be discussed with miners.

"If the government carries out a transformation of the coal industry as a whole, first there will be plans, then we will discuss them with society, then we will talk with miners," he said.

The Head of State noted that in the framework of the coordination of the coal industry reform plan, it would be necessary to decide which state-owned mines would be subject to modernization. If it is not possible to improve production processes at individual mines, the state is obliged to offer workers another job with an equivalent salary.

"If we, the state, do not give you an alternative, nobody will close anything," the President said.

For his part, Head of the Office of the President Andriy Bohdan emphasized that the authorities were currently working to draft the legislation that would help encourage foreign investors to open new enterprises in the regions of our country.

“When we have normal economic conditions, enterprises will emerge here. We are now reforming the investors’ working conditions in the country so that they can open a business. There are good, skilled workers here,” Andriy Bohdan added.