Striking miners in Georgia’s west announce rallies in Tbilisi after employer’s “insulting” wage offer
At least 10 miners went on hunger strike, with two of them sewing their mouths and eyes shut in protests. Photo: RFE/RL
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More than 3,000 miners who have been on strike in the western Georgian city of Chiatura for 14 days on Monday pledged they would continue protests in capital Tbilisi, following an offer by their employer to raise their pay by five percent, which the workers have called “insulting”.
The striking miners have announced their intention to launch a hunger strike outside the Parliament building in the capital, and said their average monthly salaries stood at $400, making them “unable to feed families and meet [loan] obligations”, while also highlighting safety conditions they have called inadequate, and polluted environment in the city.
The miners had demanded a 40 percent wage increase from Georgian Manganese, the company operating their mines in Chiatura, and said about 50 of them would go on hunger strike starting on Monday to exert pressure on the employer to increase salaries and meet other demands.
Their other requests include improvements in safety conditions, better insurance and nutrition, 12-hour shifts, vacations, technology upgrades and curbing of pollution caused by the extraction.
All 15 mines are currently shut in Chiatura due to protests. Photo: RFE/RL.
Georgian Manganese - a major producer and exporter of high-quality ferroalloys and manganese ore - on Monday said it would increase salaries by five percent “in the initial stage”, accept 12-hour shifts instead of eight-hour, and allow an audit of the working conditions. The comment came after its engagement with the Health and Labour Ministry, which has mediated in the dispute since last Monday.
In individual efforts, at least 10 miners went on hunger strike, with two of them sewing their mouths and eyes shut in protests, over the past several days, following unsuccessful negotiations with the company.
Georgian Manganese has had a licence for mining in Chiatura and the Sachkhere region on a plot of 16,430 hectares since 2007, with the deal set for a period of 40 years.
Along with the ore mines, Georgian Manganese also operates the Zestaponi Ferroalloys Plant, Vartsikhe 2005 Hydro Power Plant, and Feromedi Clinic, all in the country’s west.
About 200 miners are on strike in the western Tkibuli municipality of Georgia, demanding their salaries be increased by 300 GEL (about $95.09/€80.09). In addition, they demand the Tkibuli municipality receive highland status in order for its inhabitants to receive benefits provided by the Mountain Law.
Three individuals living in the village of Shukruti in Chiatura in western Georgian region of Imereti, have sewed their mouths shut to protest the activities of Georgian Manganese, a producer and exporter of ferroalloys and manganese ore.
Miners in Georgia’s western town of Chiatura have ended a strike launched on May 16 after demanding better salaries and working conditions, as a deal reached with the Georgian Manganese company late yesterday.
Several of fifteen miners of the Georgian Manganese in Georgia's western town of Chiatura have sewn their mouths in protest as the company refuses to fulfil their demands regarding increased salaries.
Georgian Manganese, a major producer and exporter of ferroalloys and manganese ore in the country, on Thursday said it was “ready” to hand over the management of mines to miners who have been on strike for more than two weeks, following unsuccessful negotiations on pay rise.
Georgian Trade Unions Confederation on Saturday announced that with their involvement, an agreement was reached between Georgian Manganese, a major producer and exporter of ferroalloys and manganese ore in the country, and the miners, who had been on strike for more than two weeks after unsuccessful negotiations on a pay rise.