Wage-cut for Zonguldak miners’ one day strike in vigil to Soma

ZONGULDAK

DHA Photo

Miners working in the Black Sea province of Zonguldak who held a one-day strike in memory of their nearly 300 colleagues who died in the Soma mine disaster will receive a two-day salary cut, daily Radikal has reported.

The workers at mines operated by the Turkish Hard Coal Authority (TTK) in Turkey’s coal producing capital, Zonguldak, learned that two days of their salary would be cut after holding a one-day strike on May 15 in memory of the Soma mine disaster.

Around 10,000 miners working in the mines of Kozlu, Üzülmez, Karadon, Armutçuk and Amasra, all operated by the TTK, went to their workplace but did not enter the mine, upon a call for a one-day strike by the Confederation of Turkish Trade Unions (Türk-İş).

Although the workers held only a one day strike, two days of their wages will be cut, in line with strike regulations. General Mine Workers Union (GMİS) Kozlu District Head Şaban Kaptan said miners must by law work 45 hours per week, adding that if miners work just one hour less than 45 hours, a whole day is cut from their salaries.

GMİS General Secretary Behzat Cinkılıç also said even holidays were cut from wages according to the law, but added that they would be meeting with the TTK managers soon about the issue.

“As soon as our General Manager Eyüp Alabaş returns from Soma, we will visit TTK to discuss the salary cut issue of around 10,000 miners. Our union will discuss this issue with the TTK’s management,” said Cinkılıç.

“We have lost around 300 miner friends [in Soma]. I thank all of the miner friends for attending the one day vigil for the lost miners. We are not in a situation to think about the wage cuts when we have such a disaster in Soma. We will discuss this issue with the employers in the following days,” he added.

However, TTK Deputy General Manager Mustafa Şimşek said no decision had been made to cut the wages of the workers for holding a strike. Şimşek did not rule out the fact that the wages of the workers are cut if they do not work a day for any reason, but stressed that the TTK had not made a particular decision to cut the wages on this occasion.

“There are certain wage cuts. The related law is implemented. There is no decision made about the wage cut. The decision on that will be made during a meeting that will be held in the coming days,” Şimşek told Anadolu Agency on May 16.