Coalminers in Chervonohrad (Lviv region) have decided to continue their strike demanding to pay wage arrears, and the leader of the trade union was questioned by police officers, Chairman of the Independent Trade Union of Coalminers of Ukraine Mykhailo Volynets has said.

"On January 15 and January 16, coalminers of Stepova Mine secretly voted. Miners have decided to continue the strike until the wage arrears are paid in full," Volynets wrote on his Facebook page on Saturday.

He also said that member of the trade union of coalminers (the old trade union, Volynets said) voted non-confidence to the chair of the trade union committee, as some coalminers become members of the Independent Trade Union of Coalminers.

Volynets said that on January 13, 2016 an investigator of the police in Chervonohrad questioned the chairman of the primary organization of the Independent Trade Union of Coalminers of the Stepova Mine, Vitaliy Onizhuk, regarding the blocking of the Lviv-Rava-Ruska highway by coalmines.

"This is evidence that the police in Lviv region presented untrue information to journalists saying that the criminal case against blocking roads by coalminers was not opened," Volynets said.

He said that the Independent Trade Union of Coalminers of Ukraine from time to time informs international organizations, including the International Labour Organization (ILO) and International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) on the situation in the Ukrainian energy and fuel complex and the situation with workers of the sector.

As reported, on January 12 through January 15 coalminers of Lvivvuhillia blocked the Lviv-Zhovkva-Rava-Ruska highway to protest, as wages have not been paid for November 2015.

According to Volynets, the debt to the Lvivvuhillia's coalminers for November 2015 is UAH 58.2 million.

Acting Director of Lvivvuhillia Andriy Diachenko said that on January 13, 2016, Lvivvuhillia received UAH 20 million provided by the Cabinet of Ministers to pay wages to coalminers.

However, he said that around 20% of miners of the Stepova Mine continue the strike. The rest of the coalminers are working in line with the schedules. Lvivvuhillia incorporates six coalmines.