On Monday morning, several dozen miners from the Silesia mine in Czechowice-Dziedzice refused to go up to the surface. As reported by the head of the local Independent Self-Governing Trade Union “Solidarity” (NSZZ “Solidarność”), Grzegorz Babij, the employees are protesting, among other things, against the planned layoffs.
Artur Kasprzykowski from the Podbeskidzie branch of Solidarity said that at 6 a.m., some miners from Przedsiębiorstwo Górnicze “Silesia”, who were finishing the fourth shift, refused to go up to the surface, “The situation is dynamic,” he added.
A Grassroots-Initiated Protest
The chair of NSZZ “Solidarność” at Silesia, Grzegorz Babij, told Polish Press Agency (PAP) that none of the trade unions are organizing the protest; it is a grassroots initiative.
“The protest is caused by the poor treatment of us, the employees, by those in power,” he added.
As he explained, miners from Silesia were not covered by the protections introduced by the processed amendment to the Act on the Functioning of Hard Coal Mining. The layoffs announced by the owner and the threat of the mine’s closure were also of key importance.
Babij said that the employees informed the trade unions about their action. Before noon, the Solidarity leader will go down to the protesters, who – as he said – number several dozen. “They called me asking whether we, as Solidarity, would provide them with assistance. Of course, assistance will be provided. At the moment we are dealing with logistical matters, that is food, hygiene supplies, and so on. (…) Water has already been delivered. The protesters are in a safe place and nothing threatens them,” he described.
The head of Solidarity announced a briefing at the mine at 2 p.m.
Przedsiębiorstwo Górnicze Silesia in Czechowice-Dziedzice is the largest private coal mine in Poland. Its share of the Polish market in 2022 amounted to about 3 percent of thermal coal production and 2.3 percent of total hard coal production. At the end of November, the restructuring administrator of Silesia notified the local trade unions of the intention to carry out group layoffs. They would affect more than 750 people employed at Silesia.