In a City Left Without a Future, Miners Die

From 2010 to 2019, 31 miners were killed and 26 were injured in the Mindeli mine.

Methane often breaks down and people get injured or die during explosions. However, none of the tragedies have been fully investigated. In most cases, the dead were pronounced guilty.

The trade union has strongly demanded that the Georgian government suspend coal mining in the Tkibuli mines. The government ignored the union's request, so an alternative investigation of the accident was conducted with the help of the Ukrainian Miners' Union. A report was prepared by Ukrainian experts, according to which the experts considered the human factor as the cause of the accident, where the fault of the enterprise administration was revealed.

On July 16, 2018, an accident was repeated in Tkibuli mine, which resulted in the death of 4 people and the serious injury of 6 others. After the mentioned incident, on the basis of the order of the Prime Minister of Georgia, coal mining works were stopped in Tkibuli mines.

The work of the mine continued again, although the miners of Tkibuli often went on strike, refused to work, demanded the resignation of the Georgian Coal Administration, and held rallies. The requirements are the introduction of modern labor safety systems and the creation of decent working conditions, along with an increase in wages.

Most of the miners on the ground do not talk about the problems. Part of them now believes that the norms are observed and it is no longer dangerous to enter the mine.

Yuza Katamadze has been working as a driver for 14 years and works 6 hours a day. He thinks that safety norms are observed, but it is not a good job for young people and he would not be employed here if he were not of this age. He believes that working here is better than unemployment and that he prefers to be in his own city than to go and work elsewhere.

Levan Katamadze is 30 years old, he has been working here for 5 years. Speaking about the problems created in the mine, he noted that the situation has improved and there is no more danger. Although he has another specialty, he graduated from the Faculty of Law and could not find a job. That is why he had to work here to support his family. He has a young son and the income is not enough for them.

It is true that the miners in the Mindeli mine do not talk about the problems and believe that the safety norms are also observed, however, they have no answer or do not want to answer the question why they refuse to perform the service?!

People employed in the market and family members of miners do not shy away from talking about problems.

The woman is from a family of miners, her father-in-law was a miner, and her husband and son are also miners. But they were very frightened because of the people who died in the shafts. The explosions became so frequent that the son decided to go abroad. He left his family and works in a mine in Poland. They say that the norms are observed there, the situation is better compared to Georgia and the payment is higher.

Laperadze Irma works in the market and sells small items. His husband is a miner, and his son refused to work in the mine, he was scared because of the recent situation.The mine often exploded and because of the many casualties and injured people, he refused to work there and is now working on construction.

"People do not have money for food, not even taxi money."

A 75-year-old man who worked in a mine for 25 years was fired 4 days ago due to his age. He is now retired and works as a taxi driver. Travel costs 5 GEL, but because people are very poor and have no income, he takes passengers for 3 GEL.

"If the norms had been observed, there would not have been so many explosions and there would not have been any casualties. People were taken back to the mine, methane was released during the extraction process, there was an accident and it exploded, which resulted in casualties."

He confirms that the norms in the mine are not observed. Working there is accompanied by risk factors. The Germans conducted the survey, although no one in the workers knew what was written in the survey.

Tkibuli residents name the lack of jobs as the main problem. They mainly go to Kutaisi and Tbilisi and work on construction. The population wants the government to create jobs so that people can be employed and people do not need to leave Tkibuli.

84-year-old Dodo Tsikridze finds it difficult to stay at home and goes out to collect bread money and trades in the market. A pension is not enough for her. Wish everything in the city was done right now. Her son has two professions, but he works in a mine. As the mother notes, the son is not satisfied with working there, but there is no other thing for the people of Tkibuli to do, they are forced to work because they cannot find a job to support their family.

There are people who go to work in another city, however if the job prospect will be in Tkibuli, they are eager to get a job in the same city and not have to go elsewhere.

The pandemic aggravated the situation in the city, people were locked in their homes and could not even go to work for 3 months. They received 300 GEL assistance from the government. According to women working in the market, if there was another job they would certainly work elsewhere because there is no buyer, and they cannot trade.

"Everyone has one desire to be employed, to have more people working. If he spends money today, he should not worry that he will not have money for bread tomorrow."

Jondo Kharazishvili is from Khashuri and lives with his wife in Tkibuli. He works as a Taxi driver. Offended because no one helped the self-employed during the pandemic. His wife is ill, he himself suffers from arrhythmia, and his pension is not enough for the money for medicine.

Medical points are not in order, there was a big hospital in Tkibuli, but it was demolished and a new one was built, which is very small in size.

Patients can not be accommodated and are often taken to another city for treatment. Which is very expensive and it is also difficult to buy medicines.

In addition to non-compliance with workers' safety norms, there are many other problems in the city of miners. The population has considerably decreased; Many leave Tkibuli and move to another city or emigrate from the country. The buildings are dilapidated and abandoned. 4 families live in a 9-storey apartment. Many apartments say 'for sale', but no one is the buyer.

Only mother and daughter live in the 4-storey building. Manana Sofromadze often appealed to both Tkibuli and the Tbilisi City Hall, that they lived in an emergency apartment and helped.

The house was demolished, all four floors were destroyed, due to the very bad condition the neighbor helped and gave up his own residence, the remaining belongings were moved there.

The theater, which opened in 1961 and can accommodate 600 people, is the pride of the people of Tkibuli, as all the guests are brought here, performing and giving concerts.

The theater is in a state of disrepair. They promise that restoration will be done, but the given promise remains and no one fulfills it.

Young people from Tkibuli are deprived of entertainment centers. All circles were closed during the pandemic at the Student Youth Palace. And now they are in its yard, waiting for open-air performances.

The only entertainment for children is the park and the gardens. The pool has just opened and the kids spend all their time here. They plan to organize competitions in the future, but they do not have a coach and a swimming teacher yet. The children also started coming from different cities because of the pool. Jemal Imerlishvili is from Kareli, he comes to Tkibuli for swimming . Would like to have other entertainment besides the park and pool, such as movie theaters.

There are two football stadiums in the city. The people of Tkibuli are very proud of the stadium field and take care of it. Team trainings are not held at this stadium so as not to spoil and are only used for competitions.

"It is very difficult for Tkibuli to keep the football team "Meshakhte". The parters were brought from different cities and made only in a few places."

The second stadium is very neglected, population joke that it is possible to watch football from one side of the stadium and pick tea from the other side because it is turned into a bush.

Tkibuli National Gallery, where various paintings are exhibited, water is leaking from the upper floor and everything is damaged.

"Children left without an art gallery due to vegetable gardens.”

There was an art school on the opposite street and it was connected to the gallery because the kids were doing the exhibition here. However, they canceled and demolished the building. The two-story building was supposed to be done, but the neighbor objected, the vegetable garden was shaded and the City Hall was not allowed to build it.

The art school was not restored, so the teacher Mirza Chelishvili decided to create a space for the students. Where children master the fine and applied arts, as well as organize exhibitions.

The museum space is not allocated, so if Tkibuli was not left without a museum, they decided to make a temporary exhibition in one room. 300-500 people visited the exhibition every year, Tkibuli students and tourists were also arriving before the pandemic.

The main desire of the Tkibuli population is the revitalization of the city and the right to live in normal conditions.

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Credits:

Mariam Iremadze