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Russian unions go ahead with national strike on March 27

International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU), ICFTU OnLine..., 20 March 1997

Brussels, March 20, 1997 (ICFTU OnLine): While the new Russian government is multiplying contacts with labour in an effort to defuse growing tensions, trade unions vowed to maintain their call for a nationwide strike on March 27 to demand the payment of some 10 billion US dollars in back pay.

The March 27 protest will be unprecedented in Russia's recent history as all trade unions, both the reformed groups and the new alternative movements, have agreed to join forces on behalf of the 20 millions unpaid workers in Russia.

The common front option was sealed during a meeting organised in Moscow on February 18 on the occasion of the visit of Bill Jordan, the general secretary of the Brussels-based International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU). The ICFTU's pledge to support the March 27 protest internationally was instrumental in getting the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Russia (Fitur), the Russian Confederation of Labour (KTR) and the All-Russia Labour Confederation (VKT) to agree on a joint platform.

In an attempt to defuse tension, Russia's Prime Minister, Viktor Chernomyrdin met trade union leaders and employers on Tuesday (March 18) to discuss the payment of wage arrears. A tripartite conciliatory commission is to meet on Friday (March 21) for further talks. The Prime Minister also told unions that Anatoly Chubais, now Russia's First Vice-Prime Minister will attend Friday's Congress of the national coal miners' trade union in Kemerevo (Kuzbass).

Yet, Mikhail Shmakov, leader of Russia's Federation of Independent Trade Unions, said the protest will only be called off if all wage arrears are paid in full, while the government said it needs at least a few months to resolve the problem. Some 20 million people are expected to join the protest and an estimated 7 million will go on strike.

"We think that it because of our pressure that the government reshuffle of the government was held, and now we hope for a change in economic policy", Shmakov said. On top of the 10 billion US dollars wage debt some 3 billion dollars are owed to Russian pensioners. Family allowances have not been paid for the last four months.

Trade unions have warned that such a situation could lead to a major social explosion which could shake the whole of Russia and the government.

A similar trade union protest took place in Ukraine on March 18 where an estimated 2 billion dollars in wages are owed to workers. The ex-official trade unions did not take part in the protest which was organised by independent trade unions. Nostalgists for the communist era, however, tried to exploit legitimate discontent by organising a protest on the same day. In Kazakhstan, trade unions said yesterday that they had to suspend their strike movement which started in the middle of January because of pressure from the country's political police. According to trade unions, KNB (ex-KGB) agents have raided strikers' homes and harassed union leaders. Official figures put the total unpaid wage bill at 814 million dollars.

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