Promises were not kept: Mine workers in Eskişehir still did not receive their rights

Coal mine workers at the Yunus Emre Thermal Power Plant, operated by Doruk Madencilik in Eskişehir, have still not received their rights despite being promised.

Coal mine workers at the Yunus Emre Thermal Power Plant, operated by Doruk Madencilik in Eskişehir’s Mihalıççık district, have still not received their rights despite being promised.

Selim Arslan, Secretary of the Central Anatolia Branch of the Turkish Mine Workers’ Union, said: “While SDIF was making money from all the workplaces it took over, why did it not move here? Approximately 60 of our friends who retired during the TMSF period did not receive their seniority. “It seems that these people have been under the control of SDIF for 2 years after the transfer, and while these people have suffered so much, why does SDIF not speak out?” he said.

Miners working in the mine in Mihalıççık district of Eskişehir, which was transferred from the Savings Deposit Insurance Fund (TMSF) to Yıldızlar Holding in December 2022; They went on strike on August 28 because they could not receive salaries, compensation and other rights. Unable to get results from the strike, the miners decided to go on a hunger strike and locked themselves in the mine on August 31. The mine workers, who later promised that they would receive their wages, ended their hunger strike.

TROUBLES NEVER END

“Approximately 60 of our friends who retired during the SDIF period did not receive their seniority,” said Selim Arslan, Secretary of the Central Anatolia Branch of the Turkish Mine Workers’ Union.

“The problems are endless at the workplace, which was transferred to Doruk Madencilik within Yıldızlar Söğüt Seramik Sanayi as a result of the tender from SDIF on 12 December 2022. We started the sit-in protest on August 28, 2023, due to the fact that the enforcement and BES deducted from friends were not transferred to the accounts, the severance payments of 250 people who quit their jobs and retired were not paid, and the records of 190 people were taken underground without being notified in July.

Since no results were obtained as a result of the negotiations, we decided to continue our ongoing action with an underground hunger strike at 16:00 on August 31, 2023. On the 5th day of the action, as a result of our Turkish-Business President Ergun Atalay and Turkish Mine Workers Union Chairman Nurettin Akçul’s meetings with the employer, the severance payments of 250 people who quit their jobs and retired were paid in 3 equal installments, the suspended enforcement and BES payments were transferred to the accounts, and the payments for July and August were paid. Promises were made to correct the records of 190 people whose registrations had changed, to complete their missing payments, and to calculate and pay the rights arising from the collective bargaining agreement.

“THERE IS NO NEWS ABOUT THE RIGHTS ARISING FROM THE COLLECTIVE BARGAIN AGREEMENT”

In line with the promises made, we decided to continue our underground hunger strike with a sit-in strike and stop working until we fully regain our rights. During this period, the money deducted from the promises made by the employer to us and from the PPSs were transferred to the accounts. To complete the missing payments in July and correct the insurance SGKHe made his notifications to . Out of the severance pay that 250 workers will receive, only 51 of the 62 people working in the workplace have been paid their first installments, the others are still pending. There is no news about the rights arising from the retrospective collective bargaining agreement.

“WHY DOES SDIF NOT SPEAK OUT WHEN PEOPLE ARE SO VICTIMIZED?”

While SDIF was making money from all the businesses it took over, why did it not move here? Approximately 60 of our friends who retired during the TMSF period did not receive their seniority. It seems that while these people are suffering so much under the control of SDIF for 2 years after the transfer, why does SDIF not speak out? (PHOENIX)