The protest initiated by independent Maden-İş member Doruk Madencilik and Elazığ ETİ Gümüş mine workers in Ankara to demand payment of their receivables continues.
CHP Group Deputy Chairman Murat Emir, CHP Manisa Deputy Ahmet Vehbi Bakırlıoğlu and Democrat Party Deputy Chairman of Non-Governmental Organizations Gökhan Uyanık visited the miners who were protesting in front of the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources.
Murat Emir said, "You are the people who lay down their lives and sweat for this country to become stronger, grow, and obtain energy. You are actually heroes. Aside from not paying you for your labor, you should be given what you deserve immediately, but unfortunately you are on the roads. You went on a hunger strike, you went on the roads, you were blocked, you were detained many times. You have to wait on the asphalt in the snow and cold of winter, and now in the heat of summer. But you can raise your voice." "They don't hear it," he said.
Emir stated that the holding has not paid the rights of the miners for 6 months and that their receivables have accumulated over 160 billion lira and said:
"Severance pay, salaries, other receivables and more than 530 of our workers are victims. You come, you protest, but you are forced to make your voice heard. They detain you many times, they harass you, they turn a blind eye, but the last time you came, three ministers became guarantors. They said 'Okay, don't worry'. In fact, together with my President Başaran, we checked whether the salaries and compensations were paid. After that, you returned to your homes.
"HE BECAME THE KING OF MINES"
But it didn't happen again, it doesn't happen again, and this company is protected by the Ministry, by this government. A company that received over 2,300 licenses and one person became the king of mines. How was so much mineral given to someone who did not pay his debts, did not pay interest to the bank, did not use bank loans, and did not pay for the sweat of the workers? Moreover, the Minister has words: 'We will not give mines to such people again.' They say, but the next day they allocate a place again. You see, the CEO comes from TÜGVA. It is not something that a God-fearing person would do if he has the fear of God in his heart and refuses to pay the labor of a mine worker who earns his living from there for his family and children, who risks his life but works with dignity. They are protected and supported. They sacrificed the mine workers. You come again and again and you struggle. What you want is not something so great. You say, 'Give us our salaries, give our severance pay, do not dismiss those who were unjustly dismissed, do not mess with our union.' But they do not listen to this voice. We are with you until the end. We are with you in this just struggle. We will continue to be.
"WE ARE WITH YOU, WE WILL CONTINUE TO BE WITH YOU"
This government, these ministers need to hear your voice now. They need to hear the voices of not only the mining companies, holdings and bosses, but also the workers. And they should know that those who violate the rights of this worker, deceive them, say 'We have become guarantors' and send them to your home and then do nothing to pay your salaries, are pouring the entire budget to their moneymakers. And as their ruler, they protect their rights. But when it comes to workers, retirees and civil servants, their ears are deaf, their eyes are blind and their conscience is darkened. But together we will tear apart this unconscionability and injustice. We will not bow down. We are with you, friends. We are with you until the end. But this time, like the previous ones, the fight is no longer about 'Okay, we paid. We pay. We became guarantors. We are guarantors. It should be resolved in a way that you will truly get what you deserve, not in a 'don't worry' way. It's a shame for you too. It's a shame for the miners of this country. It's a shame for this country. And unfortunately, those who mean such things to this country are still sitting in these seats. "We are with you, and we will continue to be with you."
"THEY ARE ARRESTED AND DETAINED. THIS CANNOT HAPPEN"
Murat Emir reminded that they met with some of the protesting miners in the Parliament and said that they would provide all kinds of support, and continued as follows:
"We made an appointment with the Deputy Chairman of the AKP Group. They also met there. Those living here do not hear the voice of the worker, they hear the voice of the boss. They support the boss. They say 'We will not give licenses to the boss from now on', but the next day they give new licenses again. I ask again: Think of a person, think of a holding company. The holding does not pay its debts. It does not pay its loans. It has taken out a lot of loans from the state. It does not pay the rights of the workers. It says 'I have no money'. But it is brand new. "They are receiving allocations and more than 2,300 mining licenses have been given to them. Is this possible without protection, favor or subsidy? Just as you are patting him on the back, you will say, 'Pay the workers' wages,' this is what needs to be done. Instead of doing this, they are beating you and trying to prevent you from coming here. This is not possible."
THEY THROWED THEIR DRESSES IN FRONT OF THE MINISTRY
Continuing their search for rights in front of the Ministry of Energy, Doruk Mining workers hung their clothes at the entrance of the ministry building.
