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!
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.
Two union representatives at the Lece mine began a hunger strike after their new employer terminated their employment. Since the mine was taken over about six months ago, some employees had been working on three-month contracts. These were extended by a further 15 days, but twelve employees did not have their contracts renewed, according to JUGpress.
To the miners and their families in Chiatura. Dear friends and families.
You continue to have the full solidarity and support of the International Coordination Group of the International Miners' Coordination in your determined struggle for your jobs and the preservation of the region's livelihoods. Since I was with you in April, we have grown together and you are like family to me.
To the government of Georgia, Mr. Saakashvili, the Foreign office, Federal Minister Mr Wadephul and the European Parliament Foreign Affairs Represantative Ms Kaja Kallas. Dear Mr Saakashvili, Mr Wadephul and Ms Kallas, On behalf of the International Miners' Coordination Group (ICG), I am writing to you today: On 29 April 2025, we received news from Chiatura, Georgia, that five leading miners had been arrested at 3 a.m. by the regional police in the tent of the striking miners, some of whom are on hunger strike, and are still in custody.
We, the manganese miners of Chiatura who have been fighting for our jobs, ecology and the share of the wealth which is underneath our feet, Salute the workers of Schachtbau GmbH in Nordhausen, who are also fighting for a decent pay they deserve. We managed to struggle tooth and nail already for 61 days and we're not going to back down now. We've been ignored, laughed at, provoked, threatened, lied to.
The miners' protest in Chiatura has been going for more than 2 months. Last week and recent days was the peak of escalation of the protest by the company and the capitalist state. As the manganese crisis phase of depression has hit the rock bottom and the expansion phase has to start soon, the company has no more luxury to ignore the miners' protest in hope that they will get tired. First, a man unknown to the miners who introduced himself as a friend of a businessman who runs the coal mining town went to the miners and told them that he was sent to solve their problems as they "solved" them in Tkibuli (coal mining town).
May Day is taking place in a situation of great change and challenges: With the fascist Trump taking office in the United States, the existing world order is being turned upside down. He wants to establish a fascist dictatorship in the USA with all his might and realise his claim to sole rule of US imperialism. The international competition between the old and new imperialist forces is intensifying. With economic and trade wars and massive preparations for a third world war, they want to secure access to global sources of raw materials.
We would like to thank you very much for your video report. Your report was very moving for the 20 or so participants at the commemorative event. Under the motto 1920 to 2025: Nothing is forgiven - No one is forgotten, around 20 participants gathered at the ‘Grave in the Haard’. They commemorated the 34 fighters of the Red Ruhr Army who were buried here. They were murdered by fascists in 1920 during the defence of the Ruhr region. 105 years ago, workers across party lines went on general strike against the fascist military dictatorship of the ‘Kapp Putsch’. Decisive for its suppression were 100,000 armed workers, mostly miners, who had joined together to form the Red Ruhr Army.
We, the International Miners‘ Coordination, were very surprised and outraged when union colleagues from Georgia brought to our attention the letter from the DGB to the Georgian union GTUC. The coordinating group of the International Miners’ Coordination strongly protests against the content of this letter from the DGB and the statements of the IG BCE.