On St Barbara’s Day (4 December), Polish President Andrzej Duda visited Pawlowice (Silesian voivodeship) to wish and thank miners “for their hard work and special contribution to Poland’s energy security”, the President’s Office said.

On the site of the Pniówek coal mine, Andrzej Duda met with mine workers and relatives of missing miners and rescuers after the “Pniówek” and “Zofiówka” disasters in April this year.

“The consequences of the April explosions were tragic for the “Pniówek” and “Zofiówka” mines. I do not want the relatives of the victims to feel that they are abandoned. We are waiting for the opportunity to return to the search for the 7 people still missing in “Pniówek”, emphasised the President.

During a meeting with the media, Andrzej Duda pointed out that in changing the Polish energy sector, “we must implement the changes in accordance with the principle of fair transformation, so that their cost is bearable for the people”.

The Polish president noted that a deal had recently been reached between miners and the government to phase out mines by 2049, in view of the European Union’s energy policy and in connection with changing Poland’s energy mix.

“The crisis that erupted in the world due to Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and caused an enormous increase in the cost of energy raw materials, has resulted in an increased demand for coal, which is becoming increasingly scarce as a result of the very suspension of mining. The responsibility of the Polish government and all those who manage the Polish mining industry is to secure the needs of industry, households and citizens to the greatest possible extent” stressed Andrzej Duda.

4 December is St Barbara’s Day, a traditional miners’ holiday celebrated since the 19th century. It is a public holiday not only for mining workers, but also for geologists and professionals involved in the exploration of fossil fuels. The mining community celebrates St Barbara’s Day as a religious, professional, and family event.

Adrian Andrzejewski