Miners demand pension rights
On 26 July eight thousand miners from Silesia (south-west Poland) demonstrated in front of the parliament building in the Warsaw.
Members of all 13 miners’ trade unions demanded pensions rights for miners after 25 years work, regardless of their age. The miners do not want to accept a normal pension age (65) because it would mean working until their death. (The life expectancy of a Polish miner is 64.)
In front of the parliament building a violent struggle took place. The police used the tear gas and the water cannons. The miners threw paving stones at the police. Seven miners were injured as a result of the fight, 69 were detained and more than 30 will be put on trial on a charge of a physical assault on police officer. The miners destroyed a few water cannons, police cars and a lot of police shields.
As a result of the fight parliament decided (despite its previous plans) to discuss the miners pensions the following day. It accepted that miners should get a pension after 25 work years regardless of their age.
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