Workers locked themselves in mine to protest layoff their colleagues

Some 350 workers have begun a protest by locking themselves inside of a mine in the Black Sea province of Zonguldak in reaction to the dismissal of their 60 colleagues.

When the workers arrived at the mine early Dec. 18, they learned that their colleagues were laid off by the company that runs the mine, Hema Coal Mining, which is under Hattat Holding, had already dismissed 29 workers in a previous move.

The company hung a notification at the entrance of the mine with a list of the dismissed miners, saying it had annulled their labor contracts on the grounds that an economic problem occurred due to the mine's reserves.  The mine has 4-4.5 megatons of reserves, not the 12 megatons that was cited in the tender when the company rented the mine from the Turkish Coal Institute (TTK) in 2005, the company said. The company also said it would hire the dismissed workers at other facilities in different provinces if they so choose.

The miners gathered inside the mine and refused to leave, saying the protest would continue until a solution was found.

General Mine Workers Union (GMİS) Armutçuk district head İsa Mutlu said the problem between the company and the TTK would not be solved for at least six months.
 
Mutlu has expressed the union's support for the miners' protest, calling on authorities to intervene and find a solution.

The miners working during the night shift will join the protest when they arrive and 600 people will continue to keep themselves locked underground, Mutlu added.

İbrahim Ergün, one of the laid off miners, said they know the company will continue to fire people.

The mining industry has become a hot topic in Turkey with debates over the conditions of the workers, after the...