Miners hold large demonstration in Ostrava

An estimated 3,000 coal miners held a demonstration in the eastern city of Ostrava on Tuesday against job cuts, plans to cut their salaries and the mooted closure of the city’s Paskov mine. A small number of protesters broke into a building that formerly housed the OKD mining company after the main demonstration ended. The firm says poor financial results and the state of the coal market are forcing it to make marked savings and hundreds of layoffs. Talks between OKD and union leaders have failed to reach agreement on a way forward.