At the miner’s initiative, negotiations between the administration of the coal mine, the trade unions and the management of the Holding of Slovenian power plants were held but they were unsuccessful.

A warning strike was also carried out by the Velenje miners in early March. At that time, the Slovenian Holding of power plants reached an agreement on the regulation of wage rates. Now the miners argue that no part of the adopted agreement was kept.

The main reason for the strike is non-payment of holiday allowance, but the miners also do not agree with a ten-percent wage reduction and a shortening of their vacation time by three days.

The miners also demand that the price of coal increase to EUR 3.25 per gigajoule. They expressed concern over the unsettling conditions of their owner, Holding of Slovenian power plants (HSE) and the uncertain future of the coal mine that last year had a loss of about EUR 29 million.

Velenje miners, if the management of the HSE's and mine do not have sympathy for their strike demands, say that they will stop digging out coal, thus stopping Thermal Power Plant Šoštanj.

T. M., RSi