Fwd: [bangla-vision] Trapped Chilean Miners Denied Pay While Underground

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From: Romi Elnagar <bluesapphire48@yahoo.com>
Date: Sat, Sep 4, 2010 at 1:05 AM
Subject: [bangla-vision] Trapped Chilean Miners Denied Pay While Underground
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Trapped Chilean Miners Denied Pay While Underground posted by: Beth Buczynski The 33 men trapped 2,258 feet below ground in a Chilean mine recently found out that they would be receiving no pay from the company responsible for their ordeal. Union official Evelyn Olmos stated that San Esteban, the company that operates the mine, has said it has no money to pay their wages and absorb lawsuits, and is not even participating in the rescue (Daily Mail). San Esteban has a reputation for ignoring safety standards and creating thinly supported mining tunnels that some have referred to as "swiss cheese." Family and friends of the Chilean miners feared that all 33 men had perished when the mine collapsed on August 5th, 2010, trapping them inside. Seventeen days later, rescue workers were astonished when they heard hammering coming from deep inside the mine. A new probe was sent into the mine and a note was sent back which read, "All 33 of us are fine in the shelter," according to BBC News. Since then, small amounts of food have been delivered to the miners as they settle in for what could be a three month wait until engineers can clear a path to the chamber where they are. For many, the early joy of finding the miners still alive has been clouded by the mining companies calloused refusal to compensate them for their suffering during this tragedy. The miners' union has called on the government to pay the workers' wages starting in September, as well as giving help to the roughly 100 other people at the mine who are now out of work and 170 more who work elsewhere for San Esteban (Daily Mail). Government representatives have responded by saying they are prohibited by labour laws from assuming responsibility for the salaries. For now, the issue will be left up to the mining company and the Chilean courts. http://www.care2.com/causes/human-rights/blog/trapped-chilean-miners-docked-pay-while-undeground/

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