mining
News and articles about work, policy and workers' struggles in manufacturing, research and development, mining and materials around the world.
Morocco: miners from Jbel Awam on trial
Twenty-nine of the striking miners went on trial today facing charges that include unarmed rebellion.
On July 4th 300 workers from the mine at Jbel Awam in the Middle Atlas went on strike to try and improve their working conditions. The management of the Compañía Minera de Touissit (CMT) refused all meetings with the trade unionists, but had the army sent in on successive occasions to stop the strikers paralysing production.
1912: The Lena Massacre
A short history of the brutal suppression of a strike by Russian gold miners protesting low wages and inhumane working conditions in 1912.
Situated in the dense forest of south-east Siberia, the massive goldfields that lined the river Lena were, at the turn of the century, amongst the most profitable enterprises in the Russian Empire. The Lena Gold Mining Joint Stock Company (Lenzoloto), the principal owner of the majority of goldfields in the region, was running at profits of 7,000,000 roubles a year.
Morocco: Striking miners arrested at Jbel Awam
Miners at Jbel Awam in the Middle Atlas mountains of Morocco were arrested after police invaded their camp on Tuesday morning.
Auxiliary forces and the royal gendarmerie arrived at 4am and used violence to disperse the men, women and children camped outside the mine. 29 workers were arrested and taken to the gendarmerie headquarters in Mrirt. Families and friends of those arrested have been gathered in front of the headquarters since Wednesday, demanding their release.
Papua New Guinea: Wildcat causes millions in losses
Ongoing wildcat action by striking workers has caused millions of dollars in losses for a massive mining project.
Workers at the Lihir gold mine in Papua New Guinea walked out five days ago over a pay dispute in an unofficial action that is still unresolved. Efforts to cut a deal have stalled while managers consider Lihir's workers' demands, which include sacking the entire management of the mine. It is claimed that workers have been consistently denied the right to organise to protect their rights at work.
Mount Isa: the great Queensland strike - Solidarity
Pamphlet by the UK Solidarity group on the 1964-1965 strike and lockout at the Mount Isa copper mine in Queensland, Australia, which placed miners in direct opposition to their union, employer and the Queensland State Government for almost seven months.
China: miners strike attacked
800 striking miners at the Tanjiashan Coal Mine in Hubei Province fought hired security guards for two hours last week after they attempted to break a six day strike.
Radio Free Asia reported that the security guards set about the workers and in the ensuing clash at least one worker and one security guard died. The conflict lasted about two hours, during which time the workers vented their anger by attacking company offices and two nearby police vehicles they believed had been used to transport management's hired security guards to the mine.
1918: Rice riots and strikes in Japan
From July-September 1918, Japan was swept with a wave of riots from rural fishing villages to major industrial centres and coal fields, in what was the largest upheaval in Japan to date, and the widest ranging popular disturbances since the unrest during the Meiji restoration of 1868.
1905-1918 in Japan was called the Era of Popular Violence (民衆騒擾期, minshû sôjô ki). This began with the Hibiya Incendiary Incident (日比谷焼討事件, Hibiya Yakiuchi Jiken) - a citywide riot in Tokyo that started with a banned protest in Hibiya park; against the terms of the Portsmouth Treaty which ended the Russo-Japanese war of 1904-1905.
Namibian miners' strike enters second week
The strike at the Exarro Rosh Pinah zinc and lead mine in the South yesterday entered its second week as management and union representatives failed to reach agreement on a dispute over a sacked union leader.
Previous coverage here. The Namibian reports:
Strikers have blocked the mine's main entrance since last Sunday after going on a wildcat strike in protest against the sacking of the Rosh Pinah Branch Chairman of the Mineworkers Union of Namibia, Petrus Amakali.
Namibia: Miners in wildcat strike
About 200 workers have gone on a wildcat strike in protest against the sacking of a union leader, disrupting production at the Exxaro Rosh Pinah zinc and lead mine in the South.
allAfrica.com reports:
Strikers have been blocking the Rosh Pinah mine's main entrance since Sunday, vowing to continue with the strike until the company reinstated the local branch chairman of the Mineworkers' Union of Namibia, Petrus Amakali.
South Africa: diamond miners strike
Miners in South Africa voted on Friday to launch an unlimited strike.
Members of the National Union of Mineworkers were ballotted for strike action after the De Beers group refused their salary demands. A representative of the NUM announced that some 11000 mine-workers would join the strike.
