Four miners employed by two companies – Coto Minero Cantábrico and Hijos de Baldomero García have gone on hunger strike in Ponferrada (León). The miners participating in the protest are Jorge Vega, Severino Álvarez, Miguel Ángel Menéndez and José Luis Álvarez. All of them are from Laciana in León.

The four men in question have announced that they will remain on hunger strike until they are paid their last two months salaries which are owed to them by their employers and also until a solution to the future of the mining sector and a law encouraging the use of Spanish coal mine is passed.

The four miners have put up a large tent outside the entrance to the offices of Victorino Alonso cutting off one of the access roads. They are also wearing t-shirts printed with the slogan ‘Laciana, get up and fight’ and Spanish coal’ on them. They are planning to sleep in the tents and will only drink water in order to keep themselves hydrated.

Another group of miners have also put up another tent next to the Julio Lazúrtegui square which is also located in Ponferrada where the company Alto Bierzo which also owes money to its miners has its offices.

Thirteen workers from this company have shut themselves in underground in the ‘Pozo Casares de Tremor de Arriba’, located in Igüeña in El Bierzo in Leon.