site.bta 23 Miners in Manganese Mine Go on Hunger Strike

23 Miners in Manganese Mine Go on Hunger Strike

Dobrich, Northeastern Bulgaria, April 4 (BTA) - Twenty-three miners in one of the world's biggest manganese mines, at Obrochishte in Northeastern Bulgaria, went on a hunger strike Tuesday with demands for timely payment of wages and pay rise. They refuse to come out until their demands are met. They only have water with them.

The remaining 160 miners and other mine employees are protesting at the mine's gates in support of their colleagues.

The protests at the Obrochishte mine started on March 9 over irregular payment of wages and food vouchers. The miners demanded a 30 per cent increase of salaries and urged the government to revisit a 25-year concession agreement signed for the mine with Euromanganese in 1999. The miners went on a hunger strike on March 22 but called it off two days later when an agreement was signed with the mediation of the Energy Minister and the National Ombudsman. The agreement promised the miners a wage increase by 158 leva from April 1, 2017; food vouchers for work during weekends; annual medical checkups; and an increase of the rate for night work.

A week later, the food vouchers are not paid out as promised and the miners renting accommodation have had their power supply disconnected. The miners canТt get the owner to come to the negotiating table with them and their only hope is for a new intervention by the National Ombudsman.

"We can't go on staging protests and hunger strikes every month, and hoping for the Ombudsman to interfere to get this petty cash of a wage," said union leader Ivaylo Todorov. This is why the miners insist on getting a collective agreement to address their grievances.

As pointed out by Ombudsman Maya Manolova, who has been actively involved in the efforts to resolve the labour dispute at the mine, the Obrochishte mine, being among the world's four largest manganese mines, has all reasons to be making a hefty profit, if properly operated.

On Monday, the General Labour Inspectorate filed a complaint to the prosecuting magistracy against the mine owner over its systematic refusal to cooperate with the control authorities.