Support from pensioners' unions for miners seeking their rights in Ankara: 'Pay the debts immediately'

The Pensioners' Unions Platform, formed by the All Pensioners' Union, DİSK Dev Emekli-Sen, and the Pensioners' Assemblies Union, has issued a statement of support for the Doruk Madencilik and Eti Gümüş workers who are continuing their struggle for rights in Ankara.

The platform stated that miners working in companies affiliated with Yıldızlar SSS Holding have been demanding their unpaid wages, seniority, and notice pay for months, and issued a call to public authorities and employers. The statement noted that despite previous payment schedules being announced and public institutions intervening, the promises made have not been kept.

Addressing the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources and the Ministry of Labor and Social Security, the platform emphasized that the workers' claims cannot be left to the "mercy of the bosses."

The statement also reacted to the detention of approximately 100 miners and accompanying members of the press who were seeking their rights in front of the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources on the evening of August 20.

Why is the worker who asks for their wages detained instead of the boss who does not pay them? Why does the miner who asks for their rights face a police barricade instead of the company that does not pay their severance?

The platform noted that the state's duty is not to deploy police against workers, but to ensure the recovery of rights that they described as being usurped.

THE PLATFORM'S DEMANDS

The pensioners' unions demanded that all wage and severance claims of the Doruk Madencilik and Eti Gümüş workers be paid in full, and that the protocols previously made and promises given be fulfilled by public institutions.

The statement also called for an end to detentions, pressure, and obstacles against workers seeking their rights, and for respect for the right to organize and resist. The platform announced that their solidarity would not be limited to statements alone, and that the miners' voices would be carried to workplaces, neighborhoods, and city squares.

The Pensioners' Unions Platform argued that there is a common link between the problems faced by miners and the livelihood struggles of pensioners, and declared that they would continue their solidarity until all rights are paid.

News Source: 12punto