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Professional Unions Fighting for Miners’ Rigths

September 29, 2010
Tamta Kakauridze, Tyibuli

Some officials of LLC “Saknakhshiri” in Tyibuli decided to join the “Professional Union of Workmen of Metallurgical, Mountainous and Chemical industry.” Negotiations between the employed and the professional union have been going for more than two months now.

The initiative of the miners was evoked by the undesirable working conditions, dangerous environment and severe socioeconomic situation.

“I’m concerned with the fact of explosion occurred in Mindeli mine on August the 27th. I think that this is the continuation of the same kind of incident occurred on March 3rd. 3 people were victims of the tragedy, but the reason of explosion was not investigated objectively and the criminals were never punished. That’s why we assume that the tragedy of August 27th won’t be investigated either. Four miners died in this explosion, six were severely burned. We no longer believe that these kinds of accidents won’t happen. And all this happens when the salary is comparatively irrelevant to the work severity. For several years, they have not checked the salaries though national currency is going through inflation,” – state the employers of “Saknakhshiri.”

The meeting between the initiative group and “Saknakhshiri” employers took place on September 10th. It was attended by the head of the United Professional Unions of Georgia Irakli Petriashvili.

“People employed in Tyibuli mines have to work in a constant fear and stress. They are not safe. The occurred tragedies have not been investigated objectively. For 9 month, as the result of these accidents, 10 people died, 6 are fighting death. Every inference singlehandedly indicates that these tragedies are the results of miners’ negligence. Nobody says that these miners don’t have normal working conditions,” – states Irakli Petriashvili.

The meeting of LLC “Saknakhshiri” employers decided to defend their rights and interests by using all the rights enshrined in Georgian legislature. The employers are also asking for the satisfaction of their basic fundamental requirements. They established 11-point list that will be transferred to the administration of “Sakhnakhshiri” and to the general director Merab Chrelashvili in the nearest future.

Basic requirements of the employers: registration of permanent labor agreements; indexation of the salaries of LLC “Sakhnakhshiri” employers according to the increase of prices on the basic products and medications and inflation of the last three years; improvement of LLC “Sakhnakhshiri” working conditions; negotiations for implanting the system of compensation for works dangerous for health; establishment of compensation system for families of crippled, traumatized, incapable of working and dead; provision of public transportation for the employed by the administration.”

“Today is very important for miners because the organization defending our rights responsible for safety and creating normal working conditions has been established. The requirements imposed on our administration can be met, but the leadership never expressed its will and interest in the working conditions of miners. People, injured on the tragic day of 27th, are unprotected. They will never be capable of working. These accidents might reoccur. That’s why the establishment of organization defending our rights was necessary,” – told us the workman from Mindeli mine, Gia Babukhadia.

The newly established organization already had to overcome some obstacles. According to Human Rights Center, the administration of LLC “Sakhnakhshiri” and the local law-enforcement organs started taking purposeful measures for intimidating miners.

As the President of Workmen of Professional Union of Metallurgical, Mountainous and Chemical Industry Tamaz Dolaberidze stated, after requesting their rights, the threatening of Tyibuli residents has started.

“On September 10th, in the morning, the heads of the miners’ district were summoned to the local police and warned that the planned meeting of professional union should not be attended by the  employers. Despite the threat, the employed still came. The miners restrain from naming the individuals who oppressed them. If these facts reoccur in future, the united professional union of Georgia will definitely conduct the independent research,” – states Tamaz Dolaberidze.

The miners and united professional unions of Georgia are expecting the negotiations with “Saknakhshiri” administration and satisfaction of their requests. Otherwise, they are ready to take the extreme measures of protest.

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