Following the workplace murder that took place in the Soma mine, the remaining workers are enraged and unsettled.

The workers pledged not to enter the mine until June 1. Last night, some of them who didn’t hear this went out and then came back. But some say there are workers who voluntarily got back to work.

The reaction they gave to the Turkish General Mine Work Syndicate representative today on live broadcast was a reflection of their cumulative rage at their employer, the government and the syndicate.

The syndicate representative made his declaration to the press members standing in front of the district governorship building, which is diagonally across from the syndicate’s own huge building. The representative explained that there would be no production until the job security of the mines is ensured.

What do the workers want?

* Banner: [We won't go to the mine unless conditions will be improved...]

The workers spoke to bianet after the representative left.

They are all employed in either the mine where the murder happened or in the other mines of Soma Coal Inc. Some lost their loved ones.

They are very enraged at the syndicate. They don’t have their own representative, which is to say, they do not think the syndicate’s representative represents them because they voted by secret ballot under coercion for someone they don’t know.

They talk, but...

* Banner: [Be quiet, the miners are crying!..]

Everybody talks at once because they have no representative. But at the same time, they are afraid of coming to the fore because they think they are bound to work in the mine.

They say those who step forward will be dismissed. They are afraid there is a spy in their midst who will give their names to their employer.

The workers’ greatest demand is that the mine is transferred back to the government, as they say that the working conditions in all of Soma Inc.’s four mines is terrible.

They definitely do not want to go back to the mine before the government conducts an inspection. By inspection they mean a check up of all galleries at the very bottom of the mine where there is production.

Some important excerpts from the workers’ words are as follows:

“The ones who picked the syndicate are in prison”

* Banner: [We don’t want subcontracting; we want expropriation...]

We did not pick it. The ones who picked it are in prison, and they should be too.

We pay the syndicate’s money; they back the company.

One of our friends showed opposition and he was dismissed the next day.

None of us can vote for anyone other than the candidate of their choice in the representative election.

This is a yellow syndicate; they themselves have never gone down into the mine. They don’t know what the worker experiences.

Akin to commando training

We will not enter the mine until it becomes a state mine. The conditions in Soma Inc.’s other mines are even worse. Atabacalar [one of these mines] is even narrower. We crawl to get around. If we had that accident, not one person would make it out.

We get around keeping to the ground like in commando training. They squeeze us like lemons under ground.

The mines are there for them to see. There’s no need to even talk about it; they should just send their inspector.

Inspection

* Banners: [No to subcontracting!..] [Do not be silent...]

They do everything necessary 10 days before inspectors come. He goes in and out a certain part. They don’t even see the places where our friends are crawling.

The inspectors should not only look at the main pathways, but also go into the galleries, the pillars where production takes place. If they say it’s fit to work and vouch for it, we will go in again.

We walk half an hour to get to our work spots and are soaked by the time we get there. Add eight hours of work to that.

Subcontracting

Our food is the half loaf of bread we bring from home. We sit somewhere on the mud. We don’t always get to eat; there’s no eating if you don’t get the work done.

Extract the coal, bring the coal, coal, coal.

If we fall ill and can’t work for two days, we lose two or three days’ salary.

The mediatized claim that there are local “work lords” that go around and gather workers, taking a commission is incorrect. Instead there are subcontractors and below them, sergeant chiefs. The subcontractors have trillions. Look into their wealth. They have 5-6 apartments. They receive money per capita for the men they find. They get paid for however meters they go forth. The workers get wasted away.

The workers’ wait in front of the district governorship is ongoing. (NV/PU/BM)

* Click here to read the article in Turkish.