March 20, 2015 Issue

Cigarette smoke billows from the mouth of a Ukrainian mining rescuer, his face blackened by soot, as he takes a rest from the effort to reach those trapped by an explosion at the Zasyadko mine in Donetsk, Ukraine. Thirty four workers lost their lives following the explosion, which happened more than 1,000m underground. Despite the dangers of the job, mine workers have this week been campaigning against the government’s plans to shut down 12 state-owned mines. At a rally in Kiev, the chair of the miners union told the gathered crowds: “Today miners can’t feed their families and don’t know if they’ll be working tomorrow.”