Miners protest in Thrace: ‘I cannot even buy shoes’

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The workers of two companies, with their wages and compensation not paid for 6 months, protested in front of the Kar-Deniz and Vero Madeni companies in the district of Malkara in Tekirdağ province.

Independent Mine Workers Union Chair Gökay Çakır, Financial Secretary Resul Demir, Occupational Health Safety Secretary General Engin Köse and organization specialist Başaran Aksu supported the protest.

Workers, together with the union executives, made a press statement there and closed the entrance of the mine for two hours. Workers demanded a meeting with the officials of the Vero company.

Speaking during the protest, a mine worker said that he has been unable to get his wage and compensation for 6 months:

"I cannot even buy shoes for my feet. No one sees how I am. I can receive neither my wage nor my compensation, which I have deserved, for six months. My shoe has a hole. I cannot even buy shoes for my feet. They should be ashamed. We want the due of our children."

MADENCİNİN SESİNE KULAK VERİN;

"Ayağıma ayakkabı alamıyorum!"

Vero Maden #MadenciyeHakkınıVer pic.twitter.com/1BTxyNL61t

— Bağımsız Maden İş (@bagimsizmadenis) November 24, 2021

Speaking afterwards, another mine worker said that he could send his child to university by borrowing money.

Protesting the company, the worker said, "I send my child to university thanks to the money that I borrow from here and there. I don't know how long it will go on like this. They should give us our due. The cheapest labor in underground mining of the world is in Turkey. A mine worker gets an average salary of 3 thousand dollars in the world; it is 440 dollars in Turkey. However, our miners here cannot even get the 440 dollars. We look into their bosses, dig into their wealth. Praise be, they are all in high spirits. They have property. But they have not given the mine workers their money for six months. What kind of trickery is that? Who are you deceiving?"

Aksu: The cheapest mining of the world in Turkey

Speaking afterwards, Başaran Aksu said that they gave the mine owners 1-week time and told them if the unpaid wages and compensation are not paid within a week, they will wait there without interruption.

Aksu briefly stated, "For some reason, mine bosses are always the same all across Turkey; they earn but they never make their workers earn. As for the bosses that do not make their workers earn, they are protected by the government." (HA/SD)