The Ukrainian authorities intend to reduce more than 10 thousand miners, representing 20% of the total, said the Minister of energy and coal industry Volodymyr demchyshyn in an interview to Ukrainian magazine " Focus ", released on the last working day of the week.

at the end of January, the miners held a rally near the building of the Ministry of energy and coal industry of Ukraine in Kyiv, demanding the repayment of debts on wages. They demanded the resignation Demchishin, accusing him of incompetence, the collapse of industry and the surrender of national interests of the country. In connection with the meeting, the Prime Minister of Ukraine Arseniy Yatsenyuk has ordered the Ministry of energy together with trade unions to make a Commission on reforming the coal industry.

"Twenty percent of people want to reduce. 10 of 52 thousand thousand miners. The majority of pensioners. Globally for two to three years, we generally have to leave the mines only 25 thousand people ", - said the Minister.

He said that the authorities are preparing for the privatization of the mines. According to him, out of 35 mines, which are managed by the Ministry of energy, will be closed five, 7 more will be conserved.

the overwhelming majority of Ukrainian mines are located in the Donbass, Most of them came under the control of the militia, now Kiev is forced to buy imported coal. As said previously the head of the Ministry of energy, state subsidies to coal mines in 2015 will be reduced by 70%.

sections: Politics