The union leaders from the state mines and TPP “Maritsa Iztok 2” refused to meet with the government representatives who arrived in Radnevo to discuss the territorial plan for a just transition of Stara Zagora. They expelled the Deputy Minister of Energy, Krasimir Nenov, while in the meantime, at a closed meeting in the city, the Stara Zagorje MPs of “Vazrazhdane”, representatives of trade unions and local mayors discussed actions if the plan was approved in the version proposed by the cabinet.
Later came their decision. On Friday, they will block three junctions in the country – Prohoda na republika in Gurkovo, the Trakia highway in the Stara Zagora region, as well as the Stara Zagora – Haskovo and Galabovo – Dimitrovgrad roads.
“We will hold the blockades until our demands are approved,” threatened the chairman of the trade unions at TPP “Maritsa Iztok 2” Deyan Dyakov to BNT.
Already a day ago, trade unionists and workers in state mines and thermal power plants threatened with new protests if the Council of Ministers approved the current drafts of the territorial plans for the transition of the coal regions of Stara Zagora, Kyustendil and Pernik. For them, the EC has earmarked over BGN 3 billion for their green transformation and opening of innovative jobs. Their acceptance before being sent for approval by Brussels was due to take place on Wednesday, but was postponed to an extraordinary meeting on Friday.
Meanwhile, GERB announced that the territorial plans have indicative lists of companies that will receive part of the European money and some of them are related to “We continue the change”. Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov explained that it was about their investment intentions, he talked about the matter with the leader of GERB Boyko Borisov and the co-chairman of PP Kiril Petkov and promised to fix the “misunderstanding”.
It remains to be seen what exactly the Council of Ministers will adopt on Friday, but by then there should already be some kind of final agreement with the unions KNSB and KT “Podkrepa” on the agreement, which must be signed by the end of September, regarding the shutdown of coal, which is part of both the territorial plans of third regions, the Recovery and Sustainability Plan and the integrated plan of Bulgaria “Energy and Climate”.
The government planned to submit both the territorial plans and the revised recovery plan in the part with commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from coal-fired power plants for approval by the EC by the end of September, but apparently this will not happen.
Due to the continued delay in the reforms related to coal mining, provoked precisely by the opposition of the trade unionists, Bulgaria may lose all over BGN 3 billion for the just transition of Stara Zagora, Kyustendil and Pernik, as well as a significant amount of the recovery plan.
Trade unionists from the state-owned mines and thermal power plants on Thursday again demanded that the adoption of the Territorial Just Transition Plans be delayed by at least a month
The plans must include the opening of specific enterprises with high added value, which will create real jobs, said Deyan Dyakov, chairman of the KNSB in TPP “Maritsa Iztok 2”, quoted by BNR.
Hundreds of miners and energy workers gathered in front of the Cultural House in Radnevo, where the discussion of the territorial plan was supposed to begin at 10 o’clock. Deputy Minister of Energy Krasimir Nenov, who until the spring was the director of TPP “ConturGlobal Maritsa 3”, tried to speak to the protesters. However, they started booing him, hollering and chanting “resignation”.
Krasimir Nenov was forced to resign, and he commented to journalists that the territorial transition plans do not foresee any restrictions on the operation of coal-fired power plants and mines. He also reminded that the national energy and climate plan “which shows how the capacities will develop in the future, what the energy balance will be” has not yet been updated.
