Miners strike in Tkibuli

The rally of Tkibuli miners, a town in west-central Georgia, Imereti region, moved from the shaft area of Mindeli to the Mayor’s Office of the municipality where they started their protest march.

Meanwhile, there are about 30 miners in Mindeli and Dzidziguri shafts who refuse to leave the shaft until the current wage is paid and the miners are fully informed about the prospect of restoring the coal mining process. The information was released by the Georgian Trade Unions.

According to the unions, the miners had to be paid until September 15, but the company was left without money and could not name the pay date.

The current payroll of up to one thousand people employed by the Saknakhshiri Company rounds up to almost 1 million Gel.

According to Saknakhshiri, since July 2018, when coal mining in the Mindeli and Dzidziguri shafts was ceased, company and state support have consistently paid salaries to staff, the insurance costs and ongoing operating costs were being reimbursed as well, but today "Sanknashiri" faces real financial problems.

Georgia's industrial group Saknakhshiri LTD has responded to the miners’ protest in Tkibuli, a mining town in west-central Georgia, Imereti region. As the statement of the industrial group reads, “Saqnakshiri” is currently facing financial problems, and the workers were also informed about the above. They also note that the company is actively consulting with the state to find a way out of the situation.

“As you know, the coal mining activities in Mindeli and Dzidziguri mines have been suspended since July 16, 2018, under the order of the Prime Minister. Currently, only ventilation and firefighting works are carried out in the mines due to safety reasons. However, despite the above, Saqhnakhshiri Company and the state have been continuously giving salaries to the staff during these 13 months,” reads the statement

The Georgian Union of Metallurgical, Mining, and Chemical Industry Workers calls on Bank of Georgia, Energy Pro Georgia and SOCAR Gas to take into account the current situation and not to aggravate the social situation of Tkibuli.

The Trade Union calls on the Government of Georgia to urgently accumulate funds to pay Tkibululi workers and to inform miners about the plans of the Government and the company to resume the coal mining process.

The Georgian Prime Minister has ordered coal mining in Takhibuli to be stopped in the summer of 2018 after 4 miners died and 6 were injured in the Mindeli mine on July 16. Earlier, in April, 6 people died and 3 were injured in the same shaft. Due to security reasons, only the ventilation and fire-fighting works are carried out on the shafts. It was also decided that the miners would be paid their salaries despite stopping the coal mining process

The risks and dangers in the shaft in 2018 were estimated in the report prepared by the German expert company DMT Group. According to the trade unions, the government has so far not submitted this conclusion to the tripartite commission on social partnership

According to Eldar Chapidze, Acting Director of Mindeli Shaft, it is not difficult to eliminate the shortcomings mentioned in the experts' report and the shaft repair is already underway. Chapidze believes that appropriate will is needed to resume coal mining.