Morocco: Bouazar miners stand up against the bosses and the state

Since yesterday, October 10^th almost 300 miners have started a strike of 48 hours with occupation of the pit (see article in local press – in Arabic).They are all members of the Energy and Mines branch of the CDT union in Taznakhte and Agdze. The mine is property of ONA, a tentacular business group of the King Mohammed 6

The reaction of the workers is the result of the failure to arrive at an agreement with the management about weekend work, paid holidays, the arbitrary closing days, pension rights etc. The earlier agreement with the company was not followed by concrete actions of the management who ignored the decisions taken.

At the same time 5 other workers have started a sit-in in front of the company’s buildings to demand their reinstatement after been arbitrary fired.

The human rights organisation AMDH states that the bosses have engaged in ‘terrorist activities against the workers’, by exploding gunpowder down in the mine against the striking miners. ‘This action is aimed at intimidating the workers into leaving the mine and stop their action’. The administrative staff has been used to provoke other violent incidents (hitting the workers, insult them and using other verbal violence). But the workers stay calm and have not answered the provocations. At 9.30 am the Gendarmerie (national guard) have surrounded the mine and arrested 4 of the 5 fired workers who were having a sit-in in front of the buildings. They are still detained. The commander has threatened to intervene inside the mine against the strikers if they did not stop their action.

The miners and their union need your solidarity urgently.

Please send your messages of protest at

Ministry of Energy and Mines

http://www.mem.gov.ma/contact.htm

The company management

managem@managemgroup.com

Leave solidarity messages on the FB of the union branch of the CDT

-http://www.facebook.com/groups/205787546208828/