Rally Held Near Parliament in Support of Striking Chiatura Miners

A protest rally in support of the striking Chiatura miners is currently taking place near the Parliament building. Striking miners have arrived in Tbilisi from Chiatura to take part in the rally.

The main demand of the miners is the improvement of their working conditions. Participants in the rally displayed banners with messages such as “Go on strike” and “We can see you even with eyes sewn shut”.

Yesterday, one miner had his eyes sewn shut in a striking act of protest, while another had the veins in his hands cut. Earlier, another miner had his mouth sewn shut.

“Georgian Manganese” has announced its plans to return to the old working conditions with a 12-hour working day. The company also said it will raise salaries by 5% initially and gradually increase them as profitability improves. An audit will be carried out and a joint working commission will be set up to listen to workers’ demands and discuss ways to improve the situation, adding: “At this stage, it is impossible to find additional financial resources in the company”.

However, the miners have not accepted this statement and remain resolute in their protest. They plan to continue their demonstration with a hunger strike and to rally in front of the Parliament building until their demands are fully met.

On June 20, after spending the night in tents near the parliament and Kashveti, the Chiatura miners and their supporters marched to the headquarters of “Georgian Manganese” in Tbilisi to make their voices heard by the company’s management. After the march, the miners’ protest moved near the parliament.

Also Read:

• 16/06/2023 – Chiatura Striking Miner Resorts to Self-Harm

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