Workers lock themselves inside mine in Ankara protest

ANKARA

Some 500 workers have barricaded themselves inside their mine in the capital Ankara, staging a protest against the decision to privatize their workplace.

The Çayırhan Thermal Power Plant and its affiliated coal mining fields, which are currently under state administration, have recently been slated for sale to a private entity. The tender process for the sale is still underway.

Labor unions have voiced concerns, emphasizing that the tender conditions lack any clause guaranteeing the continued employment of the current workforce.

They warned that this could lead to significant job losses for miners following privatization.

In statements to the Demirören News Agency, union representatives also said that many workers could face unemployment due to economic pressures on the new owner.

As part of their protest, approximately 500 miners from the morning shift descended into the mine around 8:00 a.m. on Nov. 20 and locked themselves inside.

When the evening shift arrived for the handover, they found their colleagues unable to exit the mine and consequently refused to go down. The protest, which demands the cancellation of the privatization, is ongoing.

"We have been in talks with the authorities since the privatization decision was announced. We held a rally in Çayırhan, but unfortunately, we have not received a positive response. As a result, our colleagues in the morning shift descended into the mine and sealed themselves inside. We will continue to be their voice from above ground," said Nurettin Akçul, the head of the Turkish Mine Workers' Union.