Miners' resistance continues: 'Where are you?'

The workers' demands include the payment of their wages and bonuses that have gone unpaid for months. The miners also state that the severance pay rights of workers who were unfairly dismissed both before and after the Savings Deposit Insurance Fund (TMSF) takeover have not been paid.

Regarding their demands, Yüksel said, "We want a safe working environment that complies with occupational health and safety rules, and the reinstatement of workers who were fired for being members of our union and leading the struggle."

Doruk Mining workers announced that if their demands are not met by tomorrow, April 27, they will set out from Kurtuluş Park and march to the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources.

'WE ARE MINERS!'

Mine worker Özhan Yüksel was hospitalized and detained following a harsh police intervention in recent days. Yüksel said, "On the first day, we came to Ümitköy, and the riot police surrounded us. They detained 33-34 of our friends, and I was among them. They used plastic handcuffs and took us into custody."

Regarding the police intervention, Yüksel said, "There were no reverse handcuffs, but while taking us to the hospital, the riot police were grabbing our arms so hard, as if we were criminals... We are miners! Who are we harming?" he said.

Recounting the detention process, Yüksel stated, "First, they pulled my arm. They yanked me from one side and tore my jacket. Our hands were already open. We are miners! But we didn't say anything at all. After all, they are just following orders. We didn't file any complaints."

"I got sick on the 5th day and ended up in the hospital; my blood pressure dropped. I received two IV drips. I had one, and I had to have the second one... I have to take my salt because my blood pressure dropped. They gave me a saline drip. But I said I couldn't stay..."

'ALWAYS OPPRESSION...'

Describing the process leading to the resistance and his experiences at Yıldız Holding, Yüksel said, "It's always oppression... It was the same in 2018. A company under the TMSF didn't pay our wages for 4 months. We had problems there too. Our troubles never end! We want this issue to be resolved as soon as possible."

Regarding the conditions of the mine where they work, Yüksel stated that the TMSF did not carry out the mandatory inspections, saying, "...The TMSF did not inspect this place for 2 years. Doruk Mining was given to Yıldızlar SSS Holding in December 2022. The boss is Sabahattin Yıldız. Why wasn't this Sabahattin Yıldız inspected and why wasn't this place nationalized? Why didn't the TMSF take it back?"

Stating that politicians only listen to them during election periods, Yüksel explained that a similar process occurred in 2023.

He stated that they went on a hunger strike at that time and that the Ministry of Energy promised them their demands would be met, but they received no response: "It was election season, that's when they heard our voices. People were longing for their children; 15 days were spent underground. Someone needs to say 'stop' to this now. We all ended up with enforcement proceedings. I went into debt for 300,000. I paid interest upon interest. Because every year we were put on unpaid leave for 6 months. You can't pay! You can't pay your credit cards, interest piles up on interest. A bailiff came to my house! They measured my house with a tape measure, one by one..." 

'WHERE ARE YOU?'

The workers called out to Türk-İş President Ergün Atalay.

The miners are asking "Where are you?" to Ergün, who told them during their hunger strike, "I will come to Eskişehir," and "If this company does such a thing, I won't let them stay in Turkey, I will do what is necessary."

'RESISTANCE UNTIL WE WIN'

Making statements regarding the miners' wages and the process, Independent Mining Union Lawyer Mert Batur said, "The company informed both the ministry and the public that it had paid 36 million liras. Yes, this amount was indeed deposited into the workers' accounts, but it is incomplete; it is an amount that doesn't even cover the workers' current outstanding debts. It's even a third of that."

Reiterating the workers' demands not only for wages but also for personal rights, Batur said, "There is no statement yet regarding personal rights. The importance of personal rights is this: This is a business that hasn't paid severance to anyone since almost the day they started operating. This includes those who are eligible for retirement, those who filed lawsuits to get their receivables and personal rights and won, those who were fired for health reasons, and those who resigned for just cause... No severance has been paid to any of them to date. One of the main sources of motivation for the friends leading the struggle today is to secure this severance pay. Therefore, there is accumulated severance pay reaching up to 18 years, 15-18 years, and the workers have seen until today that they cannot get them. That is why one of the main demands for receivables is this. There is neither a payment nor a statement or commitment regarding these." he said.

Regarding the issue, Batur stated that they are trying to manipulate the public by paying only a very small portion of the underpaid wages: "Doruk Mining workers have decided to continue the resistance until all rights are obtained. This decision is also rational in this respect; there is a process of rights violations that has spread over years before this resistance, and they have struggled in various ways to get their receivables for years. Naturally, the workers will win these rights, and they will continue the resistance until they win."

Yıldızlar Holding AND ITS LICENSES 

Regarding the licenses held by Yıldızlar Holding, Batur said, "We believe that Yıldızlar SSS Holding holds nearly 3,500 mining licenses across Turkey. Most of these are not active; perhaps 30-35 of them are active. We had prepared a file regarding Yıldızlar SSS Holding... so that our people can see what kind of rights violations they have committed and continued in the places and businesses where they operate nationwide."

News and Photos: Cenk BAŞBOĞAOĞLU