The management of DTEK Sverdlovantracit's Chervony Partyzan coalmine (Luhansk region) has stated that representatives of the Independent Trade Union of Sverdlovsk illegally entered the enterprise and described their actions as hooliganism.

The coalmine's management has asked law enforcers to evaluate the trade union's actions and evict the miners from the territory of the coalmine, reads a DTEK official statement.

According to Director of the Chervony Partyzan coalmine Yevhen Kundriukov, among the representatives of the independent trade union that seized his office "there are a few workers of the coalmine, and that's why they cannot speak on behalf of the personnel, and they are hindering the normal work of the enterprise."

In its statement, DTEK also referred to Chairman of Sverdlovsk territorial organization of the Trade Union of Coal Industry Workers of Ukraine Viktor Rohochy, who said that the independent trade union's actions were a political provocation.

He added that, according to a union agreement, the Trade Union of Coal Industry Workers of Ukraine could represent the interests of the personnel of the Chervony Partyzan coalmine, while "an organization with doubtful reputation consisting of several dozen people cannot represent its interests."

As reported, a group of 12 miners of DTEK Sverdlovantracit's Chervony Partyzan coalmine (Luhansk region) have seized the office of the coalmine's director on Thursday in order to put forward their demands to the owner of DTEK energy holding, Rinat Akhmetov, and Luhansk region Governor Volodymyr Prystiuk.

The miners that seized the coalmine director's office demand that DTEK Sverdlovantracit's head cancel an instruction to change the enterprise's form of organization. According to them, the implementation of the instruction may result in mass layoffs.

In addition, the miners demand annual bonuses for DTEK Sverdlovantracit's employees. They also want the actual time during which they work every day – nine to ten and a half hours – to count as labor hours.

If the abovementioned demands are ignored, the miners vowed to address Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych with political demands, as well as ask the PACE, OSCE and the International Labor Organization for assistance.