Protesting miners and energy workers on Trakia motorway insist on meeting the prime minister on the spot

Protesting miners and energy workers have kept Trakia motorway at Stara Zagora (Southern Central Bulgaria) closed since Friday. Traffic of vehicles in all directions on the road junction remains blocked and is redirected by police teams to alternative routes.

The protesters are very firm in their demands. They feel that the Prime Minister and government representatives should show respect and go to them. They refuse categorically to go to Sofia for talks.

This morning, October 2, the territorial plans for just transition of the country's coal-mining regions, were uploaded on the Ministry of Energy's website. The plan for the region makes it clear that Stara Zagora will be the most affected, because more than 11 000 workers in the mines and in the thermal power plants will be affected.

"What they tell is a complete lie in order to set ordinary citizens who are not connected with the energy sector. My salary is BGN 1,450," Christian said.

Traffic on Struma motorway is blocked in both directions by protesting energy workers and miners

"This cannot be so. We need to mine at least 20 million tonnes of coal a year," Zorka Madjarova added.

"It will be bad for everyone - not just for us, but for the whole of Bulgaria, because everything will change. Without energy we become dependent on other countries," Nikolai Neykov explained.

At 12.30 p.m. some of the protesters' demands were read out. They want a meeting and expect one to be held in the coming days in the National Assembly with the chair of the parliamentary parties and a document, an agreement to be signed with them.

Only then talks be held to end the protests. Until then, all blocked roadways remain closed.

The miners' civil disobedience continues, and they have called on their colleagues at Kozloduy NPP to support them.