UKRAINIAN coalminers demanding the payment of three months’ wage arrears continued their hunger-strike into its fourth day yesterday despite the government’s promise to find the cash.

Energy Minister Igor Nasalyk promised on Wednesday to ask the PM to allocate 8.5 million hryvnia (£260,000) to pay miners at the state-owned No 10 Novovolynsk mine in western Ukraine, but the 50 workers on hunger strike pledged to maintain their fast yesterday.

“We have bitter experience and know the price promises,” said an Independent Trade Union of Miners of Ukraine member at the colliery, Alexander Gerasymchuk.

“But beyond promises, it has not moved,” he said, adding that workers were willing to “starve.”

Mr Gerasymchuk claimed mine managers were now supporting the workers’ tactics.

Around 300 miners staged protests at a border-crossing point on October 27 demanding for their three months pay.

When the protests failed to prompt bosses to act, 50 of the workers decided to resort to more extreme action in a bid to secure their wages.