The miners working in the controversial gold mining operation at Skouries of Halkidiki have reacted to the decision of the Ministry of Productive Reconstruction, Environment and Energy to repeal and reexamine the license of “Hellenic Gold” for its operations in the area.

The company’s 2,000 employees are concerned about the future of the mining operations in the area and may be left jobless, should the government ultimately decide to suspend Hellenic Gold’s operations for good.

On Wednesday afternoon the miners along with residents from surrounding villages demonstrated and symbolically shut off the road at Stratoni and Gomati, warning that they are determined to escalate their actions.

The employees also issued a resolution, explaining their demands and disappointment in the government initiative:

Megali Panagia, 4 March 2015

Resolution of the Kassandra Mines Trade Unions

“Today we are stepping up our struggle from the streets of Halkidiki. Today we start a new round of demonstrations and protests”.

Today more than 2,000 employees who live in the villages of Halkidiki took to the streets.

We symbolically closed off the road to Stratoni and to Gomati, sending out a resounding message to everyone: “We are stepping up our struggle now and we will win this fight”.

Today we launched a new, more dynamic series of demonstrations and protests from the streets of Halkidiki.

We call upon the Government to pay serious attention to what we have to say.

We call upon the competent Ministers to come here and listen to us.

We call upon the Greek State to honour its promises.

We call upon our fellow Greeks and colleagues to join us in the front line, because that is the least we can do.

“THE ENVIRONMENT AND THE MINES ARE OUR HOME AND SKOURIES IS OURS”.

We will do everything necessary to protect them.

Today from the front line we would reiterate that we are proud that we have worked, are working, and will work at the Mines because:

1. it is part of the history of this place which stretches back 25 centuries.

2. this investment being made in Halkidiki today is the best possible development in this whole story. The projects were designed by Greek engineers living here, raising their children here, and is a ‘lesson’ that scientists across all of Greece could learn from. The design has been approved by the Greek State and has been given the seal of approval 4 times by the Council of State. It is being implemented on the ground by dedicated scientists and is constantly being inspected and checked with all due seriousness. We the employees are the strictest guardians of those inspections and checks. That’s because they relate to our villages, and the children we are raising there.

We are proud:

3. about the environment that is being protected in the best possible way.

4. about growth and development that has returned to our homes, bringing back life, vitality with children in the schools, homes full of families and new shops.

5. about the transparent approach we have adopted, having opened up the worksites to anyone interested in seeing who we are and what we do.

6. about our experts who studied at Greek schools and Greek universities.

7. About all of us, whether we are labourers, miners, drivers, flotation plant workers, engineers, geologists, working in a dignified manner in the tunnels, plants and engine rooms. We believe in the Mines and in mining development.

8. about those of us who work at Skouries in the underground section, in building the flotation plant, at the surface facilities, and in preparatory works.

9. about all of us working at Olympias, in rehabilitation works, in the flotation of gold-rich pyrites ores, in expanding and modernising the mine before it reopens.

10. about all of us working at Stratoni. At the Mavres Petres mine which is part of our history. At the flotation plant. In developing the Kokkinlakkas disposal facility.

Because we wholeheartedly believe in this project, we expect positive developments.

From here on in, we will be in the front line, ensuring that such developments take place.

What is in the best interests of our home, our future and our children’s future is not open for negotiation by anyone.

“We were, are and will be actively involved in developments”.

The Presidents of the Kassandra Mines Trade Unions