The operations of the Pljevlja Coal Mine (RUP) and the thermal power plant at full capacity should not be questioned before 2050, according to a statement from the RUP Trade Union Organization. The union emphasized the need to immediately begin implementing new projects that will ensure a more secure future for Pljevlja.
The union stressed that the growing calls for the closure of the mine and the power plant are causing significant concern among employees, creating uncertainty about their job security, which could negatively impact the company’s operations. “If the goal is to reduce jobs, we are certainly not on the right path. The RUP Trade Union Organization will always stand by every worker and offer support to any well-intentioned decision-maker. Our interests must be aligned first with the needs of the state, its citizens, and the workers in the energy sector, and only then with the interests of others, regardless of who they may be,” stated Miladin Sekulić, president of the RUP Trade Union Organization.
Sekulić also highlighted the importance of the Thermal Power Plant and RUP in electricity production, as these entities generate approximately 45% of Montenegro’s electricity, with some months seeing the figure rise to over 80%. “Montenegro, as a country, should not consider itself on the same level as neighboring nations, let alone developed European Union countries that achieved their prosperity primarily through (what is now called) ‘dirty industry’. Despite the pressures, some neighboring countries, such as Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia, have set 2050 as the target year to phase out coal, even though they are facing significant challenges with the operation of their mines,” said Sekulić.
He further noted that Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia already have power plants operating at the edge of profitability, which will likely be phased out in the near future, significantly reducing CO2 emissions. “Despite the difficulties they face, these countries have set ambitious goals for their national energy and climate plans, including a high target year for coal phase-out. While the ambition to increase the share of renewable energy is important, it must not jeopardize any citizen of Montenegro, particularly the residents of Pljevlja and the employees of the Pljevlja Coal Mine“, concluded Sekulić.
