Coal miners promise to strike in December if gov't promises go unfulfilled

Coal miners will go on strike in December, decided labor union representatives on Wednesday. According to the disgruntled workers the government has not fulfilled its pledges made in 1998 and is doing nothing to improve the ailing sector. The protesters say, it is still unknown under what conditions the miners would retire. They are demanding retirement for those who work underground be set at 25 years. Another bone of contention is wages. The miners would like their wages indexed at 2% above inflation. This year however, they rose only 5.7%, which does not even keep pace with inflation. The miners warn, this is the last chance for the compromised government. "This government has long ago stopped representing the labor unions. If it does not satisfy our claims it is free to go", said Henryk Nakonieczny, the head of coal miners' Solidarnosc. (Gazeta Wyborcza, page 4)