Since the re-introduction of the market system in Russia, the economic crisis has seen huge amounts of capital leave the country to be salted away in off-shore accounts, leaving no funds to pay the wages of workers . It is very
common for wages to remain unpaid for up to a year, or for payment to be made in the form of goods for barter, which can be anything from condoms to coffins.

When part of the (mainly female) workforce at Lipchanka threatened to strike, the director paid their wages but simultaneously declared the proposed strike illegal. Meanwhile the staff in other shops at the enterprise declared their readiness to join the strike too.

Management responded by trying to prevent union representatives from visiting the shop floor. Igor Kuznetsov, co-chairman of Zaschita union reports what
happened when the workers found out that their fellow-workers, members of independent union Delo, had threatenedstrike action and been paid immediately:

"Today in the afternoon, September, 1, the chair of the local committee, Zinaida Shmeleva, was asked to come to Shop 2 so that the shop can join the trade union 'Delo'. Shmelova arrived with the forms to withdraw from the
FNPR* and join 'Delo'. At this point the assistant manager of the shop has run after Shmeleva and began to shout at her, trying to interfere with trade-union activity. "

[*Note: FNPR is the main trade union confederation in Russia, which generally collaborates with the employers and government, and is currently backing a new Labour Code legalising the 58-hour week, payment in kind etc. - Editor]

Under the existing Labour Code, the boss has no right to prevent the local union from carrying out its function of defending the rights of workers. Please help the workers of Lipchanka , many of whom are single mothers and desperately need their wages paid on time, to fight off company intimidation and win their battle. Email the model letter below (or write your own) to:

General director of Lipchanka Company, Vladimir Torshin
 tailor@lipchanka.lipetsk.ru

With copies to  ISWoR@aol.com and  kuznskt@mail.ru (Igor Kuznetsov, co-chair of Zaschita union alliance, which the local Dyelo union is now in the process of joining.)

General director of Lipchanka Company
Vladimir Torshin

Dear Mr. Torshin,

I/we are writing to you in connection with the workers at Lipchanka, many of whom have not received their wages from as far back as June. It is barbaric to expect the women, many of whom are supporting families, to work without
pay. When they exercised their legal right to join and organise in a union, some of your managers tried to drive union representatives away from the shop floor. In particular the manager of Shop 2 tried to intimidate Zinaida Shmeleva, the chairperson of the local union committee.

The intimidation and interference must stop immediately. Trade unionists internationally are now being informed about the situation at Lipchanka. We demand that you pay the wages of these workers now!

Signed

NAME


UNION/ORGANISATION


TOWN


COUNTRY


EMAIL ADDRESS


Now email above letter to the following THREE addresses:

 tailor@lipchanka.lipetsk.ru
 ISWoR@aol.com
 kuznskt@mail.ru