(Beginning with the second half of the broadcast on 23 February 2006)
The owners of private coal mines and local officials have colluded to cheat injured coal miners and their families, so what is the situation for miners in state owned coal mines? Of the 171 miners who were killed or injured at the Dongfeng Coal Mine accident in Qitaihe, Heilongjiang Province, on 27 November last year, six of them were retirees. These men were unable to make ends meet on their pensions and had returned to the coal face. The following is an interview I had with the wife of one of those old miners who died in the explosion that day.
Miner's wife: This is a tragedy in my family. I'm just an ordinary housewife. I don't think I really understand what happened. I've just stopped crying. I'll never forget this tragedy that has happened to the man in my family.
Han: Was it your husband that was killed in the accident?
Miner's wife: My husband was 55 years old and had already retired. Although he'd already retired, his pension wasn't enough to live on and my daughter is still in university, so he went back down the mine to earn enough to keep us going. That's why he died down in the mine.
Han: When did he retire?
Miner's wife: It was in 2000.
Han: How long had he worked in the mines?
Miner's wife: He'd worked for more than 20 years, but because he was injured, he couldn't go back down again. Then he worked above ground as an auxiliary worker and then he retired. But after he retired, we just didn't have enough to live on. We got only 400 to 500 yuan a month in pension payments. Our daughter is at university and our son just got married but he doesn't have a job. This was just an impossible situation, so he went back down the mine. This time my family was also caught up in the tragedy.
Han: You said that your husband stopped working in the mine because he was injured?
Miner's wife: Yes. I'm just a housewife. I don't understand too much about the law. The state is giving me this much in compensation, but I don't think that's quite fair. They have given me 210,000 yuan. If he hadn't retired, I wouldn't be able to ask for this according to the mine's reasoning. But since he had retired, I don't have even one dime in income. I have nothing to live on.
Han: Did you work in the past?
Miner's wife: I don't have a job. I'm just an ordinary housewife.
Han: You stayed at home with the children and relied on your husband's income?
Miner's wife: Yes. My daughter is 22 and she hasn't graduated from university yet. She still has half a year to go till graduation.
Han: Where is she studying?
Miner's wife: She is at Mudanjiang Agriculture and Technical Institute.
Han: And she still has half a year to go?
Miner's wife: Yes. Her tuition is paid for with the money earned from his blood and sweat! What I mean is, at that time we thought the way to handle things. I said that I didn't have any other requests, but because we have these difficulties. I would have a second life. I could not let the state take care of me. I could stand on my own. My husband dies down in the mine. Because my husband was retired, he was retired [after having served] the state [for so many years]. If you give me 100 yuan of living allowance, I, an old woman, can still survive [even if] you don’t give me this living allowance.
Han: How old are you this year?
Miner's wife: I'm 53 and my husband was 56.
Han: What did you say? Did you ask them for anything?
Miner's wife: They refused all my requests.
Han: Who is in the working group?
Miner's wife: The working group is made up of people from the mine. There is someone from each work unit (dan wei). I don't really understand it. Anyway, at that time everything was pretty much in a mess. Everyone was crying.
Han: On what date did you sign (the compensation agreement)?
Miner's wife: The accident happened on the 21st. I identified the body on the 30th and the cremation took place on the 2nd.
Han: At that time, did you accept the 200,000 yuan in compensation? Were you satisfied with it?
Miner's wife: I accepted it. If we didn't accept it, well, we couldn't get anything better from them. They were acting on behalf of the state. They were acting with their principles.
Please tune in again to hear a continuation of this interview at the same time next Saturday.
Note: Of the 12 broadcasts in Chinese covering the tragedy in the Qitaihe DongFeng coal mine of the Longmei Group in Heilongjiang province, we are translating five into English. Should you need assistance with the translation of any of the other broadcasts on this disaster, please e-mail us at clb@clb.org.hk.
The owners of private coal mines and local officials have colluded to cheat injured coal miners and their families, so what is the situation for miners in state owned coal mines? Of the 171 miners who were killed or injured at the Dongfeng Coal Mine accident in Qitaihe, Heilongjiang Province, on 27 November last year, six of them were retirees. These men were unable to make ends meet on their pensions and had returned to the coal face. The following is an interview I had with the wife of one of those old miners who died in the explosion that day.
Miner's wife: This is a tragedy in my family. I'm just an ordinary housewife. I don't think I really understand what happened. I've just stopped crying. I'll never forget this tragedy that has happened to the man in my family.
Han: Was it your husband that was killed in the accident?
Miner's wife: My husband was 55 years old and had already retired. Although he'd already retired, his pension wasn't enough to live on and my daughter is still in university, so he went back down the mine to earn enough to keep us going. That's why he died down in the mine.
Han: When did he retire?
Miner's wife: It was in 2000.
Han: How long had he worked in the mines?
Miner's wife: He'd worked for more than 20 years, but because he was injured, he couldn't go back down again. Then he worked above ground as an auxiliary worker and then he retired. But after he retired, we just didn't have enough to live on. We got only 400 to 500 yuan a month in pension payments. Our daughter is at university and our son just got married but he doesn't have a job. This was just an impossible situation, so he went back down the mine. This time my family was also caught up in the tragedy.
Han: You said that your husband stopped working in the mine because he was injured?
Miner's wife: Yes. I'm just a housewife. I don't understand too much about the law. The state is giving me this much in compensation, but I don't think that's quite fair. They have given me 210,000 yuan. If he hadn't retired, I wouldn't be able to ask for this according to the mine's reasoning. But since he had retired, I don't have even one dime in income. I have nothing to live on.
Han: Did you work in the past?
Miner's wife: I don't have a job. I'm just an ordinary housewife.
Han: You stayed at home with the children and relied on your husband's income?
Miner's wife: Yes. My daughter is 22 and she hasn't graduated from university yet. She still has half a year to go till graduation.
Han: Where is she studying?
Miner's wife: She is at Mudanjiang Agriculture and Technical Institute.
Han: And she still has half a year to go?
Miner's wife: Yes. Her tuition is paid for with the money earned from his blood and sweat! What I mean is, at that time we thought the way to handle things. I said that I didn't have any other requests, but because we have these difficulties. I would have a second life. I could not let the state take care of me. I could stand on my own. My husband dies down in the mine. Because my husband was retired, he was retired [after having served] the state [for so many years]. If you give me 100 yuan of living allowance, I, an old woman, can still survive [even if] you don’t give me this living allowance.
Han: How old are you this year?
Miner's wife: I'm 53 and my husband was 56.
Han: What did you say? Did you ask them for anything?
Miner's wife: They refused all my requests.
Han: Who is in the working group?
Miner's wife: The working group is made up of people from the mine. There is someone from each work unit (dan wei). I don't really understand it. Anyway, at that time everything was pretty much in a mess. Everyone was crying.
Han: On what date did you sign (the compensation agreement)?
Miner's wife: The accident happened on the 21st. I identified the body on the 30th and the cremation took place on the 2nd.
Han: At that time, did you accept the 200,000 yuan in compensation? Were you satisfied with it?
Miner's wife: I accepted it. If we didn't accept it, well, we couldn't get anything better from them. They were acting on behalf of the state. They were acting with their principles.
Please tune in again to hear a continuation of this interview at the same time next Saturday.
Note: Of the 12 broadcasts in Chinese covering the tragedy in the Qitaihe DongFeng coal mine of the Longmei Group in Heilongjiang province, we are translating five into English. Should you need assistance with the translation of any of the other broadcasts on this disaster, please e-mail us at clb@clb.org.hk.