24 February, 2012On February 17 striking Kumtor workers in Kyrgyzstan returned to work. The administration agreed to satisfy both workers' demands - to compensate rising fees to the government insurance fund and pay the family of Asanbek Orozaliev, who died after a workplace accident.
KYRGYZSTAN: On February 17 at 07:00 striking workers at Kumtor gold mine in Kyrgyzstan returned to work. The strike was successful: the day before the administration signed a deal agreeing to satisfy both workers' demands.
According to the agreement, signed by Kumtor Operating Company and the striking committee, wages rise by 4.5 per cent counting from January 1, 2012. The workers will also be paid a special bonus with annual budget of over 2 million USD. An IMF-affiliated Mining and Metallurgy Workers' Union (MMWU) states that this way the rising fees to the government insurance fund are completely compensated.
The union also informs that the company agreed to compensate the family of Asanbek Orozaliev, who died after a workplace accident, in accordance with the tentative settlement. Thus all the workers' demands are met.
Earlier the company declared the strike illegal and filed a lawsuit in a local court. The management agreed to abandon the claim.
MMWU president Eldar Tadzhibaev noted that letters of solidarity from various CIS unions had a crucial role in the success of the strike. IMF general secretary Jyrki Raina sent a letter of protest to Robert Wunder, president of Kumtor Operating Company.
"The success would be impossible without the workers' perseverance and unity. They risked their jobs and lost income by staying on strike all these days, defending their legitimate rights and interests," claimed Tadzhibaev.
The strike began on February 7, 2012.