site.btaMiners of Closed Mines Become Eligible for Early Retirement

Sofia, January 8 (BTA) - Miners who have worked in mines closed down in 2017, will be eligible to early retirement. This was announced at a news briefing by National Ombudsman Maya Manolova here Monday after a meeting with Prime Minister Boyko Borissov and FInance Minister Vladoslav Goranov on the matter.

By a rule effective before the end of 2017, laid-off miners had to be 45.5 years of age at the time of the mine's closure to qualify for early retirement. Then in December the rule was changed and this right to early retirement was taken away. 169 miners were affected, according to the Finance Minister's remarks.

Following a number of meetings with miners, Maya Manolova started campaigning for reinstatement of the right to early retirement.

After her meeting with the government officials, a decision was made that the case of all miners in mines closed down last year would be resolved by instructions of the National Social Insurance Institute.

"Mr Borissov, Mr Goranov, the chief of the National Social Insurance Institute and the Social Minister showed understanding and the problem of people who worked in miners that were closed down last year, will be resolved," said Manolova.

She said that her team has prepared legislative changes and will submit them to Parliament so that the problem be also resolved for miners who are to be made redundant in mines facing closure this year.