Kazakh Copper Mine Workers Win Strike

ZHEZQAZGHAN, Kazakhstan – Workers at Kazakhstan’s leading copper producing corporation, KazakhMys, have ended a strike after the company agreed to meet all their demands, just two days after the strike started.

Several dozen miners refused to leave their mine May 4 and stayed underground for some 72 hours, demanding that their salaries be doubled.

Hundreds of other workers announced May 6 that they would also halt work unless their demands were met.

KazakhMys officials on May 7 agreed to all the demands.

A strike by oil workers with similar grievances in the western town of Zhanaozen lasted for several months last year and ended with a violent crackdown by police in December that left at least 16 people dead.