Miners' Strike in Satpayev Continues

Kazakhmys corporation miners continue to strike despite previous statements about an agreement, Orda.kz reports.

On the evening of December 19, the company's management reported that it had reached a compromise with the protesters. However, none of the mines with workers on strike have resumed operations today.

The workers have also appealed to the President.

Videos of what seem to be military planes landing at the airport are circulating in local chats.

Orda.kz has contacted a miner's wife; her husband has been underground for four days.

The woman is concerned about the lack of any news. She has provided our editorial board with a video of the aircraft.

I think it's the National Guard. Nothing like that lands in our region. We don't really have any military units here. Such planes wouldn't just fly in. So it's most likely the National Guard,  the woman reported.

According to Aigul (name changed), the information about salaries is untrue.

The miners get a million and a half. And there has never been such money in the auxiliary areas. They generalized and said that the miners get 1.3 million tenge, she says.

Aigul says the miners' problems go beyond wages. They have challenging working conditions and are also subjected to unjustified inspections and endless exams.

Miners go underground to earn money. This is fine, this is not ambition. It is hellish work, associated with daily danger. And prices are rising. Why should they risk their lives for nothing? the woman exclaims. 

Aigul says miners undergo regular online training, which takes up all their personal time.

According to the miner's wife, the social package is also not thought out.

Insurance payments are dead weight. Half of the conditions that people in our region suffer from are simply not covered by insurance. This insurance does not provide any real support, the woman says.

Orda will continue to monitor the events in Satpayev

Meanwhile, oil and gas industry expert Nurlan Zhumagulov explained why Kazakhmys could not meet the demand for increased salaries.

Zhumagulov recalled that in 2014, the Kazakhmys holding was divided into two groups: Kazakhmys Copper (all the company's old assets went there) and KAZ Minerals (new projects were transferred under its management).

The Kazakhmys Copper holding, which includes Kazakhmys Corporation LLP, has 39,000 full-time employees. Net profit for 2023 was increased five to six times, amounting to 110 billion tenge. The average median salary was 660 thousand tenge (according to the company). At the same time, the average salary of miners exceeds one million tenge,Nurlan Zhumagulov emphasized. 

Kazakhmys must also fulfill social obligations, including infrastructure projects, constructing social facilities in the regions, and ensuring the operation of thermal power plants with low electricity tariffs.

During the floods, the holding transferred 40 billion tenge to help those affected.

It is obvious that the holding cannot make concessions to the strikers, but a compromise has been found (an increase in wages by an average of 15%, taking into account bonuses). The holding's task is to retain and support such a huge team, noted Nurlan Zhumagulov.

The expert also points out that the KAZ Minerals group has a better financial situation than Kazakhmys Copper.

There are no strikes at its enterprises, and its projects bring in stable income (up to 350 billion tenge from Aqtogay and Bozshakol alone).

The group's enterprises receive more net profit than they pay in taxes to the budget.

Original Authors: Alexandra Mokhireva, Nikita Drobny