Uyar Mining Company in Soma district of Manisa has not paid the workers’ severance payments for 8 years. Miners, together with independent trade union Maden-İş, started a march to Ankara and were blocked at the entrance of the city by the police.

The workers waiting at the gate of the city for 3 days released a statement demanding the rights of 880 workers.

The statement stressed, “Hundreds of our friends have died. Even if you issue a second resolution for Soma miners, we will continue to be a victim, in any case.”

Expressing that authorities have not fulfilled their promises for months, the miners said, “We have been forced to wait on the pavements for 3 days. We address those breaking their promises, we are determined; we will never return until a solution is achieved.”

The statement emphasized, “Mustafa Elitaş has stalled us although he received the file one month earlier. If we had not held this march, our severance payments would entirely have disappeared.”

People’s Democratic Party (HDP) deputies and provincial co-chairs visited the workers at the city gate of Ankara.

During the visit, Züleyha Gülüm, HDP deputy for Istanbul, said, “We are aware that political powers stand with the bosses, not the workers, labourers. They always protect the bosses. In such a regime, the workers unfortunately cannot receive their rights of severance payment. It is not easy to work and earn a living under the ground. Firstly, they should see how a mineworker works and ask themselves if they can work under the ground facing the possibility of death at any moment. They cannot! If they enter there, their suits will get dirty. We hope that you can find out a solution. We, as the HDP, advocate workers’ rights. We congratulate you, your labour and your honourable struggle.”

Mineworkers will pay visits to the political parties of the Parliament on Wednesday.