The privatization process of the Işıklar coal mine in the Soma district of Manisa has been completed, resulting in the dismissal of nearly 2,000 miners , daily Evrensel reported. The workers have been officially notified that their contracts would have been terminated as of Jul 9.
The state-owned Turkish Coal Operations (TKİ) received an initial payment of 48.6 million liras (~1.04 million US dollars) from Soma Kartal Kömür İşletmeleri AŞ, the buying company, for the transaction.
The Yeni Anadolu AŞ company, where the TKİ is a majority stakeholder, was operating the mine under a royalty contract. The company's board stated that the legal rights of the dismissed workers will be paid in full, and all entitlements will be paid in a single cash installment at the end of the mediation meetings.
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The authorized union at the mine, the Mine Workers Union of Turkey (Türkiye Maden-İş), affiliated with the Confederation of Turkish Trade Unions (Türk-İş), has not yet issued a statement regarding the layoffs.
During the privatization process in 2026, the union had stated that they would defend the jobs, livelihoods, and social rights of the workers, and that they would take action in case of any grievance. (AEK/VK)
Read the full article at Bianet →📄Source document: Evrensel
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BianetIndependentCenter10 days agoNearly 2,000 miners were laid off following the privatization of the Işıklar coal mine in Manisa, according to reports by Evrensel. The state-owned Turkish Coal Operations (TKİ) received an initial payment from the private company acquiring the mine. The mine was operated by Yeni Anadolu AŞ, which holds a majority stake in TKİ. The company claims it will pay all outstanding worker entitlements in full during mediation sessions. The Mine Workers Union of Turkey (Türkiye Maden-İş) has not yet commented on the layoffs, though it previously pledged to protect workers' rights during the privatized.
Bias read (Center): The article presents factual information about the privatization and its consequences without overtly favoring either side. It includes details about the financial aspects of the deal, mentions the involvement of unions, and notes the lack of a formal response from the union. There is no clear bias,
Official sources cited
- press release Evrensel
- organisation Soma Kartal Kömür İşletmeleri AŞ
- organisation Yeni Anadolu AŞ
- organisation Mine Workers Union of Turkey (Türkiye Maden-İş)
TR