Representatives of workers employed by the Hellas Gold mining company met with the relevant environment and energy ministry general secretary on Thursday afternoon in Athens, part of efforts by the workforce to promote better cooperation between the Greek government and the Eldorado Gold subsidiary in the country.
Workers' representatives have repeatedly pushed for the continuation of gold mining and processing works at the two Hellas Gold sites in eastern Halkidiki prefecture, Skouries and Olympiada, which ranks as the biggest industrial foreign direct investment in the east Mediterranean country.
The mining concession, however, has faced years of opposition by local environmentalists and even anti-capitalist political groupings, and was also sharply criticized by the leftist SYRIZA party when it was in the opposition before 2015.
According to reports, workers' representatives told ministry secretary Michalis Veriopoulos and other ministry officials that delays in the issuance of necessary licenses by the ministry and other state services have already resulted in the loss of jobs, especially in the construction phases of the investment.
Additionally, the same reports said both sides expressed the intent to overcome whatever problems through better cooperation - between the government and Hellas Gold - and to allow the investment to proceed in tandem with standing environmental protection measures.
