Report:
Doruk Mining workers, who are affiliated with SSS Yıldızlar Holding and located in the Mihalıççık district of Eskişehir, have locked themselves in the mine and started a hunger strike due to their unpaid rights. On September 4, the wives of the miners, along with the Turkish Mine Workers’ Union, made a statement in front of the holding’s building in Ankara. This protest comes 5 days before the second round of the Presidential elections. Vice President Fuat Oktay, Minister of Energy, and AKP Eskişehir Deputy Candidate Fatih Dönmez visited the Yunus Emre Thermal Power Plant, located between Ankara’s Nallıhan and Beypazarı districts and Eskişehir’s Mihalıççık district. Oktay and Dönmez acknowledged the disruptions experienced during the transfer of the power plant from the Savings Deposit Insurance Fund (TMSF) to the company. They mentioned that the workers, who had been on unpaid leave, returned to work and expressed gratitude to President Erdoğan for overseeing the process. Three months after the visit of Oktay and Dönmez, 165 workers at the Yunus Emre Power Plant initiated a sit-in protest, stating that they have been denied their economic and social rights. After failing to achieve results, the workers began a hunger strike 4 days ago. The families of the workers who started the hunger strike came to Ankara and held a press statement in front of the Yıldızlar Holding building. The CHP Ankara Women’s Branch also supported the statement.
ESG Risks:
1. Labor rights violations: The article highlights the unpaid rights and severance pay of the workers, indicating potential labor rights violations by the company.
2. Non-compliance with collective bargaining agreements: The collective bargaining agreements reached since 2016 have not been implemented, suggesting a lack of compliance by the company.
3. Failure to ensure worker safety: The concern raised by the miners’ wives regarding the lack of underground working licenses and potential risks to their spouses’ safety indicates a failure to prioritize worker safety.
Vulnerable Groups:
1. Doruk Mining workers and their families: The workers and their families are directly affected by the ESG risks mentioned above, facing financial difficulties and potential health risks due to the hunger strike.
Organisations:
1. Doruk Mining: The company is mentioned as the employer responsible for the labor rights violations and non-payment of severance benefits.
2. SSS Yıldızlar Holding: The holding company is affiliated with Doruk Mining, implying its involvement in the labor rights issues.
3. Turkish Mine Workers’ Union: The union supports the workers and their families, advocating for their rights.
Sectors:
1. Mining: The article focuses on the mining sector, specifically the issues faced by workers at Doruk Mining and the Yunus Emre Power Plant.
Keywords:
Doruk Mining, SSS Yıldızlar Holding, Mihalıççık district, Eskişehir, hunger strike, rights, Turkish Mine Workers’ Union, Ankara, Presidential elections, Vice President Fuat Oktay, Minister of Energy, AKP Eskişehir Deputy Candidate Fatih Dönmez, Yunus Emre Thermal Power Plant, Savings Deposit Insurance Fund (TMSF), labor rights violations, unpaid leave, severance pay, sit-in protest, CHP Ankara Women’s Branch, mining fields, collective bargaining agreements, retroactive receivables, underground working licenses, worker safety, financial difficulties, health risks.