Turkish miners end protest after receiving first payment installment

Miners who had been protesting for 17 days in Ankara against Yıldızlar SSS Holding have ended their demonstration after receiving the first installment of their owed wages and rights. The Bağımsız Maden-İş union announced the unanimous decision to cease their protest outside the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, marking a significant win for the workers.

The miners, employed by Doruk Maden and Eti Maden under Yıldızlar SSS Holding, initiated the protest to demand unpaid salaries, severance pay, and other employment rights. Their demonstration, which lasted 17 days, involved facing police interventions before reaching a negotiation with the employer.

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Victory belongs to the resisting worker.

Under the agreement, the workers' dues will be paid in four installments over 42 days. The amounts vary for each worker based on factors such as salary, severance pay, and accrued leave. The union's lawyer, Mürsel Ünder, highlighted the crucial role of the detained Union President Gökay Çakır and Organizing Specialist Başaran Aksu in achieving this outcome. Ünder also expressed dissatisfaction with the lack of explicit support from three ministries during the process.

Despite the challenges, the miners' struggle culminated in the initial payment, celebrated with the slogan "Victory belongs to the resisting worker." The resolution brings a close to a prolonged dispute, offering a measure of relief and justice to the affected workers.

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The non-exclusion of the former EYP Prosecutor from the case and the denial of justice by the Supreme Court of Appeals regarding it, despite the exclusion request we submitted, did not close the case: they simply secured its European path.