Gerogian Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze has confirmed that the Mindeli coal mine in Tkibuli will be closed while investigations are carried out into a deadly accident at the mine, which left four people dead and six seriously injured.
“We cannot allow the lives and health of our citizens to be put under threat, and as such we have decided to close the mine. It will remain closed until we finish our investigation into what caused the explosion. During this period the mine’s 1500 employees will continue to receive their salaries,” said the prime minister in a statement.
The accident is not the first to hit Georgia’s coal industry, and the mine at Tkibuli is widely considered to be one of the most dangerous places in Georgia to work. Due to the non-existence of labour safety rules around 12 people have been killed this year.
Trade unions claim that a Ukrainian specialist has already carried out a study on the mine and recommended that the concentration of methane be continually checked.
Ilia Leave, the deputy chairman of the New Trade Union of Railways, believes that the government and local management do not have the resources to investigate the situation, and that the involvement of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) is needed in order to prepare a study regarding safety in the mine.
“Working in the mine is very challenging and it is impossible to save anybody when accidents like this occur,” he told Emerging Europe. “However, prevention is possible, and we have to follow ILO standards and recommendations. That is to say that in most of the countries where mining is part of industry, labour safety is highly controlled, and there are almost no such tragedies.”
According to Mr Leave, the government’s decision to continue paying the miners’ salaries during the period the mine is closed is crucial, because the coal mine is the only major employer in Tkibuli.
The mine is operated by Sakhnakhshiri, the only Georgian coal mine operator. According to the national agency of public registry, its owner is the Industrial Group, whose director is a former member of parliament, Davit Bezhuashvili.
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