27 May 2004 13:09
Russian hunger-strike mine to get money tomorrow
Abakan, 27 May: The labour dispute at the Yeniseyskaya private mine in the Republic of Khakassia, where more than 150
miners have now been on hunger strike for 11 days due to lengthy delays in getting their wages, has been settled - the
miners will get the money tomorrow, Valeriy Shavyrkin, deputy prime minister, told the hunger strikers today.
He said "the government of the republic will only pay part of the debt, which is the direct wages of miners,
amounting to R6.5m". He called on them to stop their hunger strike before receiving the wages.
However, the miners will only halt their protest action once their demands have been satisfied, Vyacheslav
Bondarenko, the strikers' spokesman, said. "We suggested the people stop their hunger strike, since there is
now no point in taking part in it, but most miners have decided to stay put at the mine for one more night," he
said.
[ITAR-TASS news agency] |
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