On 10 September 2024, at 11:00 a.m., in front of the seat of the Ministry of State Acts (MAP) in Warsaw, miners and energy engineers from Lubelskie Węgiel Bogdanka and Kozienice and Połaniec power plants gathered. This is simply a protest against the deficiency of dialog on the future of coal power plants belonging to the Enea Capital Group, peculiarly in the context of the challenges of the Green Deal and the energy transformation.
Traders anticipate immediate discussions about the future of their plants and express concerns about national energy safety and working conditions. The wage negotiations have failed, and the deficiency of willingness of company boards to talk and the deficiency of social dialog with the Ministry about the future of betting is exacerbating the frustration of workers.
"The negotiation fiasco forces us to act"
Unionists express determination and stress that they are willing to fight for their jobs and decent salaries. On social media, the organizers of the demonstration write:
"The failure of wage negotiations, the deficiency of the will of our company boards to talk and the deficiency of social dialog about the ministry's plans for the future functioning of our companies, forces us to take decisive steps and to show loudly that we are ready to defend with full determination our workplaces, jobs, fair pay and the future of our regions."
Is the Ministry of State Acts responsible?
The Ministry of State Acts is not formally liable for energy issues, as MAP deputy chief Jacek Bartmiński stressed. According to him, however, the protest is ethically justified:
"There is no law that forbids people from protesting change, fear or fear of having nothing to put in a pot. So these protests are ethically justified.”
He besides added that the departure from the extraction and burning of hard coal is part of a European policy aimed at protecting the environment. Despite these arguments, protesters request concrete action and talks.
Bogdanka – ‘Eldorado Mining’
Lubelski Węgiel Bogdanka is 1 of the key players in the Polish coal market. CIS.pl described it as ‘Eldorado mining’, as confirmed by evidence financial results of the company. In 2023 Bogdanka achieved a evidence net profit of PLN 687.1 million and the planned extraction of commercial coal amounted to about 9 million tonnes.
Commercial coal production in 2023 amounted to 7.05 million tonnes and sales at 6.7 million tonnes. Bogdanka has achieved its yearly production targets, which underlines its financial stability. The company has been listed on the Stock Exchange since 2009 and since 2015 it is part of the Treasury-controlled Enea Capital Group, which holds 65% of its shares.
What next for Polish coal?
The protest of miners and energyists highlights the wider challenges facing the Polish coal sector, in peculiar in the context of EU regulations and energy transformation. Although Bogdanka achieves evidence results, the future of coal in Poland is becoming increasingly uncertain.
Government representatives stress that energy transformation is inevitable, and that carbon departure is not only due to EU regulations but besides to the request to defend the environment. However, for thousands of workers in the coal sector, as well as regions heavy dependent on mining, it is crucial to guarantee adequate working conditions and energy safety during a transitional period.
The protest in Warsaw may be the beginning of a larger debate on the future of coal energy in Poland, as well as on what steps should be taken to defend jobs and guarantee the country's energy stableness in the face of upcoming challenges.
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"We defend the future of our plants". Miners and energyists protest before the MAP in Warsaw
