Miners block Russian coal import at border

A group of 200 Polish miners have blocked railway tracks at the Braniewo-Mamonovo border crossing, in order to prevent the import of a trainload Russian coal, Polish Radio reports. Some 170 protesters have been blocking the tracks, preventing the arrival of a cargo train carrying Russian coal that was supposed to arrive at 5 a.m. Stanisław Kłysz from the Solidarity labor union told Polish Radio that the goal of the protest is to point to excess coal imports in Poland. “If Poland imports more expensive, lower quality coal from Russia in such huge quantities that it leads to the liquidation of several coal mines, then there is nothing unusual in the activity that miners are undertaking,” Kłysz said. The protesters are demanding the arrival of a government administration representative to receive a petition against coal imports. Polish coal mining labor unions are planning a major demonstration in Warsaw on October 1, the day that Prime Minister Ewa Kopacz will present her program in parliament.