Miners on strike in Georgia’s western town of Chiatura sew mouths in protest
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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.
The miners went on strike on May 15, demanding a 50 per cent increase in salaries, improved healthcare, working conditions and nutrition and banning the movement of the company’s heavy vehicles in the town, polluting the environment.
Miners say that they risk their lives on a daily basis. Photo: reginfo.
Georgian Manganese says it is sustaining one million GEL in daily losses and the state is losing half a million USD in exports due to the protest. However, they state a 50 per cent salary increase “is inappropriate and unrealistic.”
The company says that the protest is illegal, adding that their lawyers will appeal to the court against the workers for violating their contract conditions.
We have offered a 25 per cent increase in salaries. The increase would be carried out at the expense of a decrease of administrative expenses. However, they refused to agree,” Financial Director of Georgian Manganese Merab Lominadze said.
He stated that the company employees 3,200 people and their average salary is 1,000 GEL [359 USD].
Workers say that they offered 30 per cent increase at least. However, the company stated that only a 25 per cent increase was possible.
We risk our lives on a daily basis for a salary which is too low, 500-600 GEL [180-215 USD] The company must be handed over to the state and the state must run it. We know the current leadership of the company and they will change nothing”, the miners said.
Georgian Manganese says that the 50 per cent increase in salaries is impossible.
15 miners who are on hunger strike, say that all of them will sew their mouths shut if their demands are not fulfilled.
Georgian Manganese says that the demands regarding the banning of its heavy vehicles in the town and improved food have already been met.
Members of the Georgian Dream ruling party and Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze, who were in Chiatura on May 17, tried to mediate negotiations between the company and the miners.
However, no agreement was reached.
Former PM, current political secretary of the ruling party Irakli Garibashvili said that the miners’ demands were fair.
Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze stated today that the miners' demands are "objective and fair" and urged the parties to come to the outcome as soon as possible, through the intensive dialogue.
- Georgian Manganese, LLC (GM) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Miami, Florida-based Georgian American Alloys (GAA).
- Based in Georgia, GM is the country’s top producer and exporter of silicomanganese.
- GAA’s Georgian holdings are comprised of three divisions: GM’s Chiatura Manganese Mine, a manganese ore mining operation, GM’s Zestafoni Ferroalloy Plant, a silico-manganese processing plant, and Vartsikhe, the hydroelectric facility which powers the Chiatura mine and Zestafoni plant.
Georgian Manganese says the Zestaponi plant may also suspend working due to the situation in Chiatura, as the operations of the two plants are connected.
The President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan has offered his deep condolences to President Giorgi Margvelashvili and the Georgian population over the tragic accident at the Mindeli coal mine in western Georgia that has claimed the lives of six and injured three.
The Georgian Health and Labour Ministry has inspected 84 companies since August this year and revealed safety-related and other types of violations in 81 of them.
Miners to continue receiving wages
A technical study inspecting the safety norms of mines in Georgia has been launched, the results of which will be announced in December 2018, says the Economy Minister Giorgi Kobulia.
Monitoring will be conducted in two directions: whether or not the mines work safely with no technical errors, and whether or not the workers’ rights are protected.
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.
A total of 4,800 employees of the Georgian Railway are preparing to go on strike on August 10 if their salaries are not be increased by 50 per cent, the railway union reports.
Up to 30 miners went to the mine in Georgia’s western Tkibuli municipality and have plans to stay there until their employer gives them and others their salaries and the government decides on the fate of mines.
Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia says that investors and employers must fully meet their financial obligations and ensure appropriate working conditions for their personnel, in a response to an ongoing miners’ protest in Georgia’s Tkibuli municipality, where workers are demanding salaries and a decision on the reopening of two mines.
Miners in the western Georgian mining town of Tkibuli have stopped their protest today as they have been promised to be paid their salaries on Monday, Georgian Minister of Economy Natia Turnava said yesterday after meeting with Saknakhshiri, a daughter company of Georgian Industrial Group (GIG) and miners.
The new owner of the Tkibuli mines, Steel International Trade Company, has fully paid the salaries of miners formerly on strike demanding back pay, announced Georgian Economy Minister Natia Turnava today.
About 200 miners of the Dzidziguri mine went on strike in Tkibuli region of western Georgia earlier today after the employer demanded they use the tunnel of Mindeli mine to reach their regular work site, which they say ‘takes too much time and effort.’
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.
Three women from the Georgian village of Shukruti, near Chiatura in the western Georgian region of Imereti, have sewn their mouths up and joined in a hunger strike to protest the activities of Georgian Manganese, a producer and exporter of ferroalloys and manganese ore.
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”.