ANKARA(RAHNUMA): Turkish police fired tear gas on Monday to break up a protest by scores of miners who have been on hunger strike for a week demanding unpaid wages.
The 110 lignite miners made a nine-day, 180-kilometer (112-mile) trek on foot from the central province of Eskisehir to the capital, Ankara, and have been staging a shirtless sit-in outside the energy ministry for a week, demanding a meeting with the minister.
They have refused to back down from their demands, despite being arrested last Tuesday, the day after their arrival, and held for around 14 hours, according to their union.
The miners are demanding the payment of outstanding wages and redundancy pay from their employer, Doruk Mining.
They staged a new protest on Monday, donning their yellow protective helmets and locking arms to push back against police with shields blocking their demonstration.
Police fired tear gas to break them up, AFP journalists said.
The miners then lay down on the pavement next to their helmets, some of which bore the message: “Fighting for our bread.”
The miners’ union said on X two of its officials had been arrested, including its president, Gokay Cakir.
“We haven’t received our last five to six salaries,” one miner told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Doruk Mining is a subsidiary of Yildizlar SSS, which took over the mine and the adjacent power plant it supplies in 2022, laying off or furloughing hundreds of workers.
The union says the company owes the workers massive back wages.
The miners are well-known in Turkiye for helping rescue victims trapped by a 2023 earthquake that killed more than 53,000 people.
Several high-profile figures have voiced support for their cause, including leaders of the CHP party, the main opposition to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
