The Romanian Government will make available reserve funds to pay the wages of the miners who went on strike in Jiu Valley, an action that left the Mintia coal-fired power plant without fuel and the homes in Deva without the heat generated by the power plant.

As a side effect, the pupils in Deva resumed online school - this time not because of the coronavirus pandemic but because of the lack of heating in schools.

The state-owned coal and power company CEH, which owns both the mines and the Mintia power plant, is under insolvency procedures  - which bars its access to the special fund used for the payment of the employees under special circumstances.

The law will be quickly amended such as to make possible the payment of the wages at CEH, energy minister Virgil Popescu assured, Agerpres reported. The miners’ wages are assured for a period of three months.

At the same time, he said that a long-term and sustainable solution has to be found for CEH. He reiterated the hope for gradual conversion from coal to green energy, using EU funds. 

andrei@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Facebook/Virgil Popescu)