Europe - International Miners Coordination

Recklinghausen: Solidarity with the four miners and strike leaders imprisoned in Chiatura, Georgia

Details: Created: Sunday, 30 November 2025 23:24; Hits: 302

At the rally for International Environment Day on 15 November 2025 in Recklinghausen, Kumpel für AUF Im Vest organised a solidarity campaign (see photo in the appendix). Merab Saralidzes and three other miners have been imprisoned since April on unjustified charges. The aim is to support the struggle of miners and the population of Chiatura to preserve jobs in underground mining and against extremely environmentally damaging open-cast mining. The rally participants adopted the following protest statement:

Duisburg: Solidarity and protest statement by Georgian miners

Details: Created: Friday, 21 November 2025 14:42; Hits: 326

Dear miners in Chiatura, Georgia!

We, around 40 participants in the action on International Day of Action for the Environment in Duisburg, have learned of the arrest of four of your miners. This is because of your strike to save your jobs and your fight against the environmentally destructive open-pit mining.

ICG call for Environment Action Day in November 2025

Details: Created: Wednesday, 05 November 2025 20:41; Hits: 328

The United Nations Climate Change Conference will take place in Belém, Brazil, from 10 to 21 November 2025. World leaders, scientists, activists and decision-makers will gather at this symbolic location. The Amazon rainforest plays an important role in regulating the Earth's climate by absorbing large amounts of carbon dioxide. However, deforestation, illegal mining and environmental destruction are threatening this fragile ecosystem.

Open letter from the International Miners' Coordination Group (ICG) to Merab Saralidzes and the three other miners imprisoned in Georgia

Details: Created: Tuesday, 14 October 2025 22:42; Hits: 392

Dear Merab, dear friends and colleagues, We have received and read the appeal to the miners from friends. It testifies to the courage, determination and integrity of the Chiatura miners in their struggle. This appeal also applies to miners around the world, and we should take it to heart and learn from each other. The delaying tactics and procrastination on the part of Georgia Manganese, the government and the courts are unacceptable, and you are absolutely right to criticise this.

Also in Georgian: Merab Saralidze a protest participant in Chiatura who has been for five months, calls on the people of Chiatura to cooperate and show solidarity, and talks about the importance of joint protest

Details: Created: Wednesday, 01 October 2025 03:14; Hits: 394

Also in Georgian"We have been in prison for five months and are keeping quiet here. As soon as we were caught, they raised expectations, as if they wanted us to be released. This has led us to remain silent, and that is what we have done all this time – we remain silent, we have sacrificed a lot and were prepared to sacrifice ourselves, even if it violated our dignity.

Today we received a letter from a trade unionist in Ukraine. He writes:

Details: Created: Monday, 29 September 2025 13:53; Hits: 411

"Good day, I am currently in a very difficult situation. Due to the war, our mine is closed and the miners who live in our town have practically no means of livelihood. There is only one mine for the whole town, and even that is operating with long interruptions. In this difficult situation, we are forced to look for ways to survive.‘

The miners wrote from Georgia

Details: Created: Wednesday, 03 September 2025 17:29; Hits: 512

Dear comrades, Thank you for your solidarity and the support we felt and still feel. We are only strong when our struggles and voices are united. We send our solidarity to all the exploited who decided to raise their voice against capitalism which is truly showing its real face as the crises deepen. Best regards

Solidarity with the miners of Chiatura!

Details: Created: Sunday, 31 August 2025 00:44; Hits: 526

Workers at a manganese mine in Chiatura, Georgia, went on strike to protest wage delays. Hundreds of miners fighting for timely payments were sent layoff notices via SMS for March 2025. Five miners were arrested in April.

Georgia: Declaration of solidarity and protest against the imprisonment of four miners from Chiatura

Details: Created: Wednesday, 27 August 2025 13:56; Hits: 458

at the cultural event “We accuse: RAG's scorched earth policy” in August 2025 in Gelsenkirchen

We, the 250 participants of the cultural festival, protest in the strongest possible terms against the imprisonment and prejudgement of the militant miners from Chiatura/Georgia and the endless postponement of their trial!

Georgia: Miners in Chiatura, still in custody!

Details: Created: Friday, 25 July 2025 14:19; Hits: 542

We have just received information that the judge ruled at today's court hearing to keep them in custody. He agreed with the absurd claim by the prosecution that the miners would flee or commit further ‘crimes’ if released.

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