KIEV, April 28 - Ukraine's Independent Miners Union has filed requests to picket the buildings of the Energy and Coal Industry Ministry and the Presidential Administration, Union leader Mykhailo Volynets told reporters in Kiev on Tuesday.

"We officially requested a meeting of the Union Council heads on the premises of the Energy and Coal Industry Ministry last Friday. It had been a traditional venue of our meetings for years. However, we were denied permission this year under the pretext that our submission was late [...] So, we will be holding our meeting right here [in front of the ministry's edifice]. Besides, we lodged our request for holding a picket about 90 minutes ago," he said.