PGG miners sign 6-pct wage hike deal with management

Unionists at Polish Mining Group (PGG) signed a six-percent wage hike agreement with company management on Friday, following short negotiations carried out on Thursday, aided by a deputy prime minister.

The pay rise will affect the miners' remuneration in 2020, starting back from January.

The agreement between the unions and PGG management was negotiated on Thursday with the assistance of Deputy PM and State Assets Minister Jacek Sasin.

The pay rise will cost PGG around PLN 270 million (EUR 63 million) a year.

The average monthly wage at PGG will rise to PLN 7,829 from PLN 7,386, a union leader said before Friday's meeting.

After the Thursday talks, Sasin announced that an agreement had been reached and that the miners had called off their threatened protests: a strike referendum planned for February 25 and demonstrations in Warsaw scheduled for February 28.

"The protest has been suspended, I would like to thank union representatives, a good compromise has been achieved," Sasin said.

PGG unionists held a two-hour 'warning strike' at the group's collieries on Monday.