Vice President of Full Gold Mining, which is developing Ishtamberdy gold deposit in Ala-Buka district of Jalal-Abad region of the Kyrgyz Republic, explained why the company fired 400 employees. He told this at a meeting with the head of the State Committee for Industry, Energy and Subsoil Use Ulanbek Ryskulov.
According to him, it is incorrect to say that the company refused to extend employment contracts. The term of their validity expired on December 31, 2017, and some items in new ones have changed. The company and employees could not agree on some of them.
“We continue the negotiations. Our company has been suffering losses since it began to work. We invested $200 million in the deposit. At least 958 million soms have been spent on the payment of wages. Workers are very expensive, so we decided to change the terms of the contract. We ask for help to survive a difficult period together. The funds invested have not yet paid off. In order not to become bankrupt, we are forced to take such steps,” representative of the company said.
Vice President of Full Gold Mining said that the company refused to pay extra to employees for professional experience and reduced the benefits for food. Monthly payments of 3,000 soms were suspended. The number of Chinese workers in the field also was reduced by a third.
The head of the Mining and Metallurgical Trade Union of Kyrgyzstan Eldar Tadzhibaev stated that he was sympathetic to the current state of the company. The Trade Union agrees that there will be no increase in wages, and refuses demands. But the refusal to pay extra for the experience and reduction of benefits for food, according to him, are contrary to the law.
The head of the state committee Ulan Ryskulov stated that the license for the development of Ishtamberdy field was issued to Full Gold Mining for 20 years, therefore the company must conclude unlimited agreements with the employees.
On January 5 it became known that Full Gold Mining dismissed about 400 workers. The Trade Union asked the government to intervene in the conflict. (24.kg/Ukrainian metal)