Union president warns about Soma: 'Thousands will be unemployed'

Rıza Sal, the head of the Aegean Branch No. 1 of the Turkish Miners' Union, claimed that "thousands of people working at Anadolu Madencilik, which operates in the Soma district of Manisa, will be laid off," adding, "They should either destroy us or close the mine. Coal cannot be mined because there is no investment, and the workers are being held responsible."

Sal met with workers at the mine site and made statements.

Sal stated that the lack of salary payments is unacceptable and emphasized that the real problem is the future of the mine. He said, “Plans and projects are being made for this operation. They're going to hand it over to someone else. They're eyeing the workers' livelihoods.” Arguing that the government hasn't made the necessary investments, Sal said, “For two years, losses have been used as an excuse to avoid investment. This is how they're squandering the workers' labor.”

“THEY WILL GIVE OUT TO THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE”

Sal stated that thousands of workers face the threat of layoffs, saying, “They'll hire 500 people at this facility and lay off a thousand. They either wipe us out or close the mine. Because there's no investment, coal can't be mined, and the workers are being held accountable.” Rıza Sal called on workers to protest by staying home from work in the coming days. “This struggle isn't for personal gain, it's for the future of our families and children. Our cause is a cause for bread. If it's action, it's action; if it's a strike, it's strike.”

The workers responded to the call with the words, "We are here, we are here until the end."

Sal, stating that the mine belongs not only to the Soma workers but to all of Türkiye, said, "This mine belongs to you; 85 million people have a say in it. We're not asking for free money; we want the necessary tools and equipment for production to be provided."

Source: News Center