The syndicates at Maritsa Iztok Mines AD have confirmed their preparedness to go on strike on January 07.

The announcement was made by Valentin Valchev, leader of the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria (CITUB) at the state-owned company, as cited by news portal dnevnik.bg.

Talks between the syndicates and the management of Maritsa Iztok Mines AD proved unsuccessful.

Late on Tuesday, the Arbitration Committee came up with a decision stating that the workers had the right to go on strike.

The three opencast mines in the Maritsa Iztok Basin sell coal to four thermal power plants (TPPs), the biggest of which supplies 25% of the country's electricity demand.

The looming strike at the coal mining company may therefore cause disruptions in power and heating supply.

In 2011, the company registered a record output for its 60 years in existence and closed the financial year at a profit.

The syndicates at Maritsa Iztok Mines AD insist that the employer comply with the agreement signed on July 12, 2011 regulating the relative share of the wage costs against the company's revenues.

Evgeni Stoykov, CEO of the Maritsa Iztok Mines, allegedly withdrew his signature from the paper despite the expected BGN 500 M revenues of the company, thereby leaving the miners without the year-end bonuses.

No invitation to renew talks has been received so far, but the management of the company has used the opportunity to reiterate that it has fulfilled its commitment.

"I am convinced that the people see and appreciate our willingness to provide wages that are adequate to their hard physical labor. I am also positive that they will not succumb to the manipulative allegations distributed by the syndicate leaders," Stoykov said, as cited by the Bulgarian Telegraph Agency (BTA).

In its Tuesday decision, the Arbitration Committee explained that the Disaster and Emergency Action Plan would enter into force during the strike.

"The strike must be stopped in the case of unforeseen damages or power shortages," Valchev said, adding that he did not know how TPPs could prove power shortages.

Valchev recommended that TPPs seek an alternative way to supply coal so as to avoid problems in the production process.

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