We will tear down the bosses' barricade with our bodies
Polyak Mine workers were at the mine entrance yesterday when the period granted to the Chinese company expired. Gendarmes intervened against the workers who rejected the employer's offer of “Resign and we'll give you your money” and against the Independent Mine Workers' Union management. An organising specialist, a lawyer and two workers were detained
Yesterday, the 11th day of their resistance to claim their rights, Polyak Mine workers in Kınık, Izmir, gathered at the mine where they work in three shifts, stating that the deadline they had given the Chinese employer to leave Kınık had expired. After the employer, who had been given until 3 p.m. by the workers, rejected the proposals made by the Independent Mining Workers' Union (Bağımsız Maden İş Sendikası), which represents the workers, the gendarmerie intervened against the workers and the union management. The gendarmerie was seen using pepper spray and batons against the workers. As a result of the intervention, union organiser Başaran Aksu, union lawyer Abdurrahim Demiryürek and two miners were detained. Following the detentions, all the workers entered the mine.
In response to a call from the Independent Mine Workers' Union the previous evening, the 301 Miners' Families Association also went to support the action in the morning. In addition to their supporters, dozens of riot police and water cannons took their places in front of the mine in the morning. The miners had called on the Chinese company Qitaihe Longcoal Mining to ‘transfer the shares, leave Kınık’ in response to the threat of insecurity arising from the change in the partnership structure, unpaid wages and the rights remaining inside.
WE WILL SHUT THIS DOWN
Gökay Çakır, General President of the Independent Mining Workers' Union, stated, "Bring whatever you have by 3:00 PM. If you don't bring anything concrete, you won't find these miners here. You put up the barrier, we put up our bodies. You put up the barricade, we put up our heads." Following this warning, at 3:00 PM, the employer and the union met in the presence of the workers to discuss the demands. Following the meeting, the union posted the following on its account: ‘The Polyak bosses are saying, “Resign by 6 March, and we'll give you your money.” We are calling out to the Özyeğins, owners of Fiba Holding, to Muzaffer Polat, to Qitaihe Company. We warned you. We said, don't play with the miners' minds. We said we would ruin this game.’
THEY HAVE TAKEN CONTROL OF OUR LIVES
Speaking before his arrest, unionisation expert Başaran Aksu said, "These barriers are very weak, very fragile. We are drilling through the rocks. Holdings are organised crime organisations set up to rob the people, to rob the workers. The people have to struggle for dozens of days to get their hard-earned sweat, their legal rights, their wages, their compensation. They have taken control of our lives. They have taken control of our wages. They have taken control of our compensation. They have taken control of our labour."
SERVICE WORKERS THREATENED
Abdurrahim Demiryürek, the lawyer for Independent Mine Workers, who was taken into custody, said in a statement to BirGün before his arrest: "Last night, the employer threatened and intimidated the service workers on the night shift to prevent them from going to work. As a union, we made a call. Workers from the day, night and early morning shifts are currently in the mine. Those who are not on shift are outside with the union leadership. Our fellow workers' stance and determination are as clear as their demands. We are meeting with the workers in the mine and making decisions together. We are close to a solution and at a critical moment."
“WE WILL NOT ACCEPT THIS IMPOSITION”
Polyak Mine workers made a statement following the gendarmerie intervention. Speaking from the mine, the workers said, "Today, an opportunity for negotiation arose, but the employer rejected our request for negotiation. The miners' conditions have been clear from the outset. We said that our wages, which have not been paid for three months and have been seized, should be paid, and that all workers' compensation, personal rights and acquired rights should be provided in full. The employer, however, insisted that the workers “come and resign, and we will give you your compensation”. They wanted to force the workers to resign by 6 March. We did not accept this demand. We are discussing how the Polyak mine will operate with 5,000 workers, not 1,243. We do not accept the demand to “give you your rights and leave”. The mine is ours. We are the producers, and we will be the managers. We do not want a Chinese owner in this mine."
Note: This article is translated from the original article titled Patron barikatını gövdemizle yıkarız, published in BirGün newspaper on March 3, 2026.
