PRESIDENT MEETS WORKERS IN “SIT-DOWN STRIKE”
Representatives of the Health Workers’ Labor Union together with the Committee on Protection of Rights of Labor Safety Workers, Committee on Increasing Teachers’ Salary and the Confederation of Labor Unions of Scientific Organizations is on a sit-in strike at the central square of Ulaanbaatar, demanding wage raise.
Participants of the healthcare workers’ sit-down before walk-out in demand for eliminating exploitation of labor have presented two proposals to President of Mongolia Khaltmaagiin Battulga requesting the head of state to issue a decree. In this regards, the President greeted with the protesters on the Sukhbaatar Square on May 15th.
Chairman of the Health Workers’ Labor Union B.Myagmar said:
“Our sit-down is involving workers of not only healthcare sector, but, in addition, the people from educational and cultural sectors. We are not stopping until some results are delivered. The Government had stopped our protest back in November, promising that the Government and IMF have sat behind another negotiation table and decided to increase salary within the second quarter of 2018. With this sit-down, we are demanding just this promise. We are not stopping until we have pay raise. We’ve been here for three days now. This is a tragedy of Mongolian state. Exploitation of labor has taken over Mongolia. Instead of sustaining our lives, our jobs have drawn us to debt and poverty, while some people have been making a pile. We only want to be paid properly for what we worked for.” He also asked the President to find time for a meeting to discuss the issue.
President Battulga accepted his request and arranged to meet with representatives of the sectors demanding pay raise on May 16th. The President also expressed his agreement with their demand and said his policy aims at bettering housing options for those who have guaranteed income through allocating apartment loans with zero interest and increasing salary for those who works in remote areas outside of Ulaanbaatar.
