Over 240 mine workers in Balıkesir dismissed after being unionized

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A mining company affiliated with Eczacıbaşı Holding, one of Türkiye's largest business groups, fired 243 workers on December 4, World Miners Day.

The workers yesterday started a protest outside of Esan Mining in Balya, Balıkesir in northwestern Türkiye. They were working for Sargın Construction, a subcompany of the mining firm.

The company dismissed the workers because "the company made losses because of the site conditions, the geological structure of the site, and the inability of the machines to separate the ore from clay," Resul Demir, financial secretary of the Bağımsız Maden İş mine workers' union, told bianet.

No social rights

The official reason for the dismissals was "ending of the job" as per code 18 of the Social Security Institution (SGK) dismissal codes, said Demir. However, he added, the job still continues but the number of workers on site are being reduced.

"For example, while there were five or six workers in each shift, they dismissed three or four people and the rest continued.

"In fact, the reason for these workers' dismissal is unionization. While those working in mines should receive at least twice the minimum wage, our friends are given salaries between six and nine thousand lira [The net monthly minimum wage in Türkiye is 5,500 lira (~295 US dollars)].

"Because they work in these conditions, they contacted us to get their rights. We have made our friends members of our union. Then, our friends were dismissed because they became members of the union. Almost all the 243 people are our members."

"Protests will continue"

"In the coming period, the form of the protests may change, it may rise to a higher level. It develops kind of spontaneously. It develops according to the approach of security guards and law enforcement officers. I am also a mine worker. I call on all miners to unionize." (AO/EMK/VK)