Nuclear power plants help develop the regions where plants are established by enabling the generation of employment of 12 people for every single nuclear power plant employee, according to the President of Russia's Trade Union of Nuclear Power and Industry Workers Igor Fomichev on Thursday.
"The employment of one person in a nuclear power plant means that an additional 12 people are employed for infrastructure works in that region," Fomichev told Anadolu Agency after signing a Turkey-Russia bilateral nuclear cooperation deal with his Turkish counterpart in Ankara on Thursday.
Turkey Energy, Water and Gas Workers' Union or TES-IS signed bilateral agreements in Ankara with Russia's Trade Union of Nuclear Power and Industry Workers (RTUNPIW) and the Belarusian Union of Energy, Gas and Fuel Distribution Workers (BTUEGFW) for the development, education and implementation of work safety standards for workers in the nuclear industry.
A small town with a population of 5,000 grew to a center with 35,000 population after a nuclear power plant was established there, Fomichev said. He explained that nuclear power plant engineers generate the need for housing, schooling, social infrastructure, hotels and hospitals once a plant is constructed, resulting in greater local employment opportunities.
- Never compromise on nuclear rules
Formichev said the work of the trade union not only involves regulations on power production, but it also dedicates time towards enhancing health and safety by recommending preventative measures.
He underlined the importance of rules within the working environment of nuclear power plants and said that plant workers must comply with nuclear rules without any compromises.
"Communication between workers, managers and executives in the plant must be at a higher level than normal business operations," Fomichev warned.
"Employees at the plant should naturally have more advantages such as higher salaries, better social facilities and better quality health care," he added.
Turkey plans to build three nuclear power plants, the first at Akkuyu in the Mersin province with a construction date set for early 2018 and an operation start planned for 2023; the second at Sinop on the Black Sea coast, and the third plant's location has not yet been announced.
RTUNPIW has about 320,000 members and has a presence in Russia for over 70 years.
By Huseyin Erdogan
Anadolu Agency
energy@aa.com.tr