Miners declare strike alert

The unions accuse the government of not implementing earlier agreements on reviving the mining industry which were made in January.

The government argues that the agreements will soon be finalised to mutual benefit.

As Michał Owczarek reports, with the forthcoming parliamentary election on 25 October, however, nothing might be as easy as it seems, especially that all sides of the political scene are trying to play on the mining issue.

"This strike alert is purely on mining-specific and economic grounds having nothing in common with the elections or politics," claims Wacław Czerkawski of the Polish Miners' Trade Union.

"The matter is very prosaic: no wages paid and we immediately go on strike," he added.