Miners on Hunger Strike for 8 Days
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It is 9th day of the hunger strike of the miners working at De-Ka and Balçınlar Mining in Kilimci district of Zonguldak who have started the strike to get their job back and unpaid salaries. Other miners and families continue waiting by the door. The People’s Republican Party (CHP) delegation coming to visit yesterday (May 27) wasn’t allowed inside the mine.
In total 245 miners are working in the mine. Trustee was appointed to the mine on April 13, 2016 within the scope of “parallel organization” investigation.
The workers not receiving their salaries for January and February of 2016 have taken the decision to not go to work as of April 4.
Families wait as well
The workers not being paid for four months by May now first held talks with appointee delegation and then city authorities before April 18 over their unpaid salaries but got no result.
For this reason, they have been on hunger strike for nine days beneath the ground. In the hunger strike which has started with 70 people, those who deteriorate have been taken into hospital, at the moment around 35-40 people continue their strike beneath the ground.
Other miners too have been continuing the strike 24 hours with their friends. Families of the miners as well wait by the mine.
Akın: We want our unpaid salaries
Cemal Akın working at De-Ka mining speaking to bianet expressed that they are two kilometers away from the workers and approximately 500 meters below the ground and are face to face with death for staying that long underground.
Akın said in addition to receiving their salaries which are not being paid for four months, they want to return to work by reserving the right to severance pay.
Ağbaba: They didn’t let us inside the mine
The delegation headed by Republican People’s Party (CHP) Vice President in Charge of Laborer Unions and NGOs, Veli Ağbaba went near the miners.
Ağbaba talking to bianet yesterday stated that first they weren’t allowed in the area of the mine, and then weren’t let inside the mine after they entered the area.
“We met with the governor and said we need to get in. ‘Go to the court’, the governor said. We said are you kidding us. Are we going to wait court order while the workers are on hunger strike inside? We will file criminal complaint against the ones who didn’t let us in”. (NV/TK)