Workers employed at İmbat Mining in the Soma district of Manisa have begun a march to Ankara in protest of the irregular payment of their wages and other dues. Led by the Aegean Region Branch of the Mining Workers' Union of Turkey, the workers are demanding that their accumulated dues be paid in full and that their salaries be paid on a regular basis.
Speaking at a statement made at Cengiz Topel Square, branch president Nazmi Gürleyen said that miners have been receiving their salaries and entitlements in installments for a long time. Gürleyen stated, "The bill for power plant receivables and desk-bound calculations cannot be passed on to the mine workers who work and produce hundreds of meters underground at the cost of their lives."
Gürleyen noted that economic uncertainty affects not only the livelihood of the workers but also their workplace safety. Expressing that it is not easy for a worker who is worried about when they will receive their salary and how they will pay their debts to focus all their attention on their work, Gürleyen called for a permanent solution.
Following the statement, the miners began their march by striking their helmets against the ground. The workers, who held a moment of silence for the miners who lost their lives and sang the National Anthem, proceeded from Atatürk Street toward Hüseyin Özkılınç Street.
The miners, who encountered a brief attempt by police teams to block them during the march, broke through the barricade and continued their walk. Gürleyen stated that they do not want temporary solutions to save the day and that their demands have been conveyed in meetings held with the relevant authorities.
The union management announced that they will be in Ankara if concrete steps are not taken. The workers are demanding that wages be paid regularly and that accumulated dues be met without delay.
News Source: 12punto
