600 Kazakh Miners Refuse to Leave Mines Demanding Higher Wages

KARAGANDA. Feb 2 (Interfax) – Employees of the Kazakhmys company are staging a protest action on Saturday demanding higher wages and better working conditions.

Miners of three mines refused to leave them after their shift was over, the press service of the Karaganda regional administration told Interfax on Saturday.

The union of the independent trade unions of the Karaganda region and the Kazakhmys press service confirmed the information to Interfax.

According to the press services of Kazakhmys and the Karaganda regional administration, the company’s management has taken measures to settle the situation.

“Talgat Akhanov, the director general of the Zhezkazgantsvetmet enterprise, Talgat Magzumov, the enterprise’s chief engineer, and Asylbek Nuralin, the chairman of the trade union committee of the Kazakhmys company maintain contact with the miners,” the Kazakhmys press service said.

Kanatbek Murtazov phoned Interfax on Saturday morning and, introducing himself as a member of the initiative group of protesting miners, told that some 600 miners refused to leave the Yuzhnyi, Zapadnyi and Vostochnyi mines demanding higher wages, better working conditions, and lower pension age.

Miners have many times asked the management of the company to do so, but as there was no reaction, they decided to stage a protest action, Murtazov said.

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