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6 April, 2009
Pencho Torkmachiev, President of the Federation Independent Union of Miners of Bulgaria (FIUM), opened a day-long celebration on 31 March of the 100-year anniversary of the founding of Bulgaria’s oldest and largest mining union in Pernik, the industrial city where the trade union movement and FIUM were born. As in many other countries, the miners’ union became the leading force in the trade union movement and survived numerous cataclysmic changes including two world wars and the advent and fall of communism.
The importance of the FIUM was demonstrated in the final event of the day when Georgi Parvanov, the president of Bulgaria, spoke to the audience, which included several government ministers. President Parvanov spoke about how the FIUM shaped his life, having grown up in Pernik.
President Parvanov
Joe Drexler, ICEM’s director of industry and corporate affairs, spoke in the final event on the economic crisis sweeping the world and how mining trade unions are addressing the crisis. He also spoke on the importance of Bulgaria moving to ratify ILO Convention 176, the Health and Safety in Mines Convention. In private conversations, the FIUM expressed confidence that Bulgaria will make a major step toward ratification in 2009.
There are few places in the world that would rival Pernik in terms of its celebration of miners. Monuments and sculptures to miners dominate the city center along with a mining museum that includes an underground coal mine. Those attending the event were given a tour of the underground mine which showed how technology has changed the nature of mining
FIUM President Torkmachiev along with Vice Presidents Alexander Kanev and Valentin Valchev, expressed their appreciation to the ICEM for its continuing support to the trade union. The FIUM has approximately 11,000 members engaged in coal, metal, and industrial materials mining.