"From
the Asturias Committee of the PCTE, we would like to express our
condolences and sorrow to the families, colleagues, and friends of the
five miners who died at the Zarréu/Cerredo mine (Degaña), as well as our
support and encouragement to the four colleagues who are hospitalized
with varying prognoses.
Although it would seem logical to wait for an interminable investigation before commenting, with five colleagues dead, it's impossible to remain silent and not point out the situation facing Asturian mining, which is only getting worse with minimal investment and increasingly limited safety measures. This is nothing new, and our Party has been denouncing it for many years, pointing to subcontracting and licenses granted to companies with dubious technical capacity as a danger to the safety of miners and the future of the mines.
The reduction in mining inspections and the reduction in the technical staff available for them is, moreover, the direct responsibility of public administrations, which often look the other way so as not to harm job creation.
And it's not tragedy that's once again striking the working class, but rather, once again, we're reaping the fruits of a restructuring that's leaving entire regions that once relied on coal, such as southwestern Asturias and the northwest of our neighboring province of León, where all the deceased lived, without a future. This lack of employment drives many to emigrate, but it also condemns others who don't want to leave their places of origin to accept miserable working conditions, due to safety measures, wages, and work hours, where overtime hours far exceed those permitted.
Today we mourn the deaths of five colleagues, but our tears of sorrow must turn to rage. Last year was disastrous for workplace safety in Asturias, and this year the numbers are set to get worse. Leaving everything to the action of bourgeois justice is condemning ourselves to these numbers, which represent the lives of our colleagues, becoming ever worse. A union and worker mobilization is needed to control working and safety conditions and stop the risks we take, often to avoid losing our jobs, and which sometimes end with tragic results. Enough with these declarations and symbolic strikes; the working class needs urgent measures to guarantee safety NOW.
WE WORK TO EARN BREAD, NOT TO LOSE OUR LIVES"
