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Miners block centre of Sofia 

Photo: BGNES

Thousands of miners and energy workers, members of the two main trade unions, the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria (CITUB) and the trade union "Podkrepa", gathered in the area between the buildings of the National Assembly and the Council of Ministers. 

The demonstrators demanded that Parliament vote to postpone the liberalisation of the household electricity market for at least another three years - from 2026 to 2029. 

"I work at the Thermal Power Plant 'Bobov Dol'. If they close the coal mines, they will close the TPPs. I don't know where we will go, we have no alternatives. The first 160 people have already been laid off at the Maritsa Iztok TPP. Of course we are worried about them and ourselves," one of the protesters told BNR. 

According to the demonstrators, the green transition is not a fair one, as the laid-off workers are being offered jobs that do not match their skills - as cooks and salespeople. They are also not being paid the promised 36 salaries as compensation.



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