12 October, 2010After being on strike for 10 days, workers won a 50 per cent wage rise. This success owes much to the solidarity efforts of CIS unions and IMF.
KYRGYZSTAN: Members of the IMF-affiliated Mining and Metallurgy Union of Kyrgyzstan (MMUK) at a gold mine owned by Canadian-based TNC Kumtor Operating Company won the strike.
Workers achieved their main goal: 50 per cent wage hike.
During the CIS Sub-Regional Committee meeting in Kyiv on September 28-29 unions in the region adopted a letter expressing the support for the striking workers.
"We wouldn't have achieved such results without your support... Your letters encouraged workers, gave them new strength to reach their goals," stated Eldar Tadjibaev, MMUK president, in a thankful letter to the unions and IMF.
Actions of Kumtor management in Kyrgyzstan illustrate double standard policy of TNCs: wages of Kumtor workers in Kyrgyzstan are a fraction of those of their colleagues in Canada. However, this last strike proves that regional and global solidarity is an effective instrument against the bad treatment of workers on the part of TNCs.
Copy of Tadjibaev's letter in Russian is available here.