Miners did not let a new manager into Mine No. 9
The miners of the Novovolynska No. 9 mine are categorically against the appointment of this director to head their mine
Solidaires (CM)
On Tuesday 2 August, the miners of SE Shakhta No. 9 Novovolynska, by a unanimous decision of the workers' collective held the day before, did not allow the new interim manager Viktor Herashchenko to enter the mine.
Having learned that on 29 July Ukraine's Energy Minister Herman Galushchenko had signed an order appointing Victor Herashchenko, known for his work at the Buzhanska mine of the state-owned Volynvugilya enterprise, as acting director of the No. 9 Novovolynska mine, the mine's staff requested a meeting on Monday 1er August. But the newly appointed director refused this meeting.
The miners of the Novovolynska No. 9 mine are categorically against the appointment of this director to head their mine, as they are well aware of his "dubious past" as chief engineer of Buzhanska, where he is involved in criminal proceedings for misappropriation of state property worth UAH 12 millions.
The day before, at the workers' meeting chaired by the head of the Independent Trade Union of Miners of Ukraine Vasyl Gura, the miners unanimously decided to appeal to the Ukrainian Minister of Energy Herman Galushchenko to immediately annul Order No. 30 of the Labour Code of 29 July 2022 and to prevent V.M. Herashchenko from working at the mine.
The next day, 2 August, the workers implemented their decision, and when Viktor Herashchenko and the Director of the Coal and Industrial Complex Department of the Ministry of Energy Andriy Sinyuk arrived at the mine, they were not allowed to enter the mine, telling him, "If you want to work without miners, work."
The miners asked Andrii Sinyuk why they had fired the former mine manager, as there had never been any complaints about his work, he listened to the workers and was respected here, but they received no answer.
The miners informed of their decision not to work and said they refused to work with Viktor Herashchenko.
"The people are the government. We do not need new leaders imposed on us. Go back to where you came from, we will not work with you. And tell the Minister of Energy to cancel the decision on Herashchenko's appointment", was the verdict of the trade union team at the state enterprise Shakhta No. 9 Novovolynska.
After violent quarrels and discussions, Viktor Herashchenko and the officials who had come to support him left the mine, as the miners warned that they would maintain their positions until the Ministry changed its decision. [...]
