Coal of Georgia Head Comments on Miners' Strike in Tkibuli

Mikheil Sotski, the Head of the Coal Georgia, the Company that owns Tkibuli mines, has responded to miners' strike who are demanding improvement of their working conditions. 

He said that today he met with the Georgian Trade Union representatives and discussed workers' demands and all the other issues in detail, after which there were no further questions.

“We met in my office this morning and discussed all the issues that caused dissatisfaction among miners. They expressed their position. In my opinion, we have reached an agreement. After the meeting, there were no further questions, ” the Head of the Coal Georgia noted. 

He added that the company does not plan to cut salaries or decrease the number of employees. 

“It is strange that these issues were raised today. All the issues were agreed with workers beforehand. Under this agreement, a temporary suspension of the operation of the Mine was ordered due to technical repairs. Workers of the Dzidziguri Mine were transferred to another mine, though they will maintain their jobs. There will be no cuts, no decrease in salaries. The special commission will study the case for two weeks and then determine how long the mine will stop functioning. It is supposed that this will last for three months. It is also possible to repair the ropeway sooner, but it is not just about ropeway. Here we are talking about repairing the whole mechanism and not just one ropeway. Some devices are out of order. The goal of our company is to completely upgrade the whole mechanism, not only a single detail,” he concluded. 

Earlier today, the 'Dzidziguri Mine' workers went on strike in Tkibuli, a mining town in west-central Georgia, Imereti region, claiming that they have to work in difficult conditions: the mine train has been damaged for a week, meaning they have to walk six kilometers to perform their duties, and refusing to continue working until their working conditions are improved. 

The Georgian Trade Union is involved in negotiations with the Company, saying that they have real suggestions on how to overcome the crisis.

By Ana Dumbadze 

Related Story: Miners, Demanding Better Working Conditions, Strike in Tkibuli