Greek energy ministry calls on Eldorado to allow staff back to work

ATHENS, Sept 28 (Reuters) - Greece's newly appointed
government has called on Canada's Eldorado Gold ELD.TO to
allow most of the workers at its Greek gold mine to return to
work, the energy ministry said on Monday.
Greece last month revoked Eldorado's permit to develop a
mine in the northern region of Halkidiki, seen as one of the top
foreign investments in the country, saying the company had
violated contractual terms.
Eldorado then suspended its operations at the mine and
temporarily laid off most of its 1,300 workers.
Energy Minister Panos Skourletis, who returned to his
ministerial post after the Sept. 20 national election, on Monday
met officials from Eldorado's Greek unit Hellas Gold HELr.AT
and labour union representatives to discuss the issue.
"The company was asked to recall workers' temporary
redundancy as a gesture of goodwill," the ministry said in a
statement.
The energy ministry views positively Hellas Gold's proposal
that a team be set up to discuss technical issues, but wants
employees to be able to return to work, a government official
told Reuters on condition of anonymity.
Greece and Eldorado will meet again, another source close to
the matter said, without disclosing a specific date.
Greece wants Eldorado to conduct tests of the so-called
flash-melting method to ensure its mining activities will not
harm the environment at the site. The company has done such
tests in Finland.
Eldorado Chief Executive Paul Wright said last week he
believed the new Greek government and the Vancouver-based mining
company could resolve their differences, but if not, Eldorado
couldn't continue investing in the country.
"Our feeling is that a dialogue has started, a dialogue
which will continue and we believe it can lead ... to mining
operation resuming," Yiorgos Hatzis, head of the mineworkers
union, told Greek state television after the meeting.