 CHP leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu visits workers at a coal mine on New Year's Eve. DHA photo |
Some 750 coal miners in Manisa’s Soma district that received a New Year’s Eve visit from the main opposition leader have been sent away on unpaid leave due to a production stoppage, CNNTürk’s website reported Wednesday.
A contract between Uyar Mining and the Turkish Coal Enterprises, or TKİ, which is normally renewed biennially, was not renewed because of the production stoppage, leaving the 750 temporarily jobless.
“The workers will return to their jobs. Negotiations for the new contract are ongoing,” said Hakkı Duran, manager of the Ege Linyit Company, or ELİ, which runs the Darkale Coal Mine along with Uyar Mining.
The TKİ, meanwhile, also said it did not want to victimize the workers.
Asked whether the visit of Republican People’s Party, or CHP, leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu had an effect on the authorities’ decision not to renew the contract, Uyar Mining Manager Hakkı Sevinç said there was no relation.
“I don’t think that this situation is related to Kılıçdaroğlu’s visit. There might be a problem with the coal’s purchase price. Our workers have been given unpaid leave and are anxiously waiting for news from Ankara. It is a hard situation to be unemployed during the winter, but we don’t have a choice,” said Sevinç.
CHP leader Kılıçdaroğlu said that if the contract was not renewed because of his visit, it would be a terrible situation.
“Hopefully, this is not related to my visit. Such a thing cannot happen in a modern democratic country. My friends are looking into the situation. The authorities should at least make a speech satisfying to the workers,” said Kılıçdaroğlu.
Uyar Mining has been operating the Darkale Mine since 2004 and sold 450,000 to 500,000 tons of coal annually for use at coal power plants.
A contract between Uyar Mining and the Turkish Coal Enterprises, or TKİ, which is normally renewed biennially, was not renewed because of the production stoppage, leaving the 750 temporarily jobless.
“The workers will return to their jobs. Negotiations for the new contract are ongoing,” said Hakkı Duran, manager of the Ege Linyit Company, or ELİ, which runs the Darkale Coal Mine along with Uyar Mining.
The TKİ, meanwhile, also said it did not want to victimize the workers.
Asked whether the visit of Republican People’s Party, or CHP, leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu had an effect on the authorities’ decision not to renew the contract, Uyar Mining Manager Hakkı Sevinç said there was no relation.
“I don’t think that this situation is related to Kılıçdaroğlu’s visit. There might be a problem with the coal’s purchase price. Our workers have been given unpaid leave and are anxiously waiting for news from Ankara. It is a hard situation to be unemployed during the winter, but we don’t have a choice,” said Sevinç.
CHP leader Kılıçdaroğlu said that if the contract was not renewed because of his visit, it would be a terrible situation.
“Hopefully, this is not related to my visit. Such a thing cannot happen in a modern democratic country. My friends are looking into the situation. The authorities should at least make a speech satisfying to the workers,” said Kılıçdaroğlu.
Uyar Mining has been operating the Darkale Mine since 2004 and sold 450,000 to 500,000 tons of coal annually for use at coal power plants.
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