The government will try to negotiate to keep Paskov mine open till 2016

Prime Minister Jiří Rusnok told reporters on Friday that if the owners of the Paskov mine in northern Moravia were to act as gentlemen in negotiations with the government, it would be possible to keep the mine open until 2016. The mine’s owner OKD announced earlier this week that it is planning to close the mine by the end of 2014, claiming that it has not been profitable for some time. The mine currently employs some 3,000 workers, in a region that already has high unemployment. OKD said that with financial help from the government, it would be willing to keep the Paskov mine open longer, but on Wednesday Prime Minister Rusnok refused to provide any subsidies to the firm. The government will open negotiations with OKD’s shareholders next week in an effort to keep it open for another three years.