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“Pre-crisis” level agreement won for Russia’s railway workers

OGr | 16.02.2011 21:50 | Repression

One million railway workers in Russia are set to benefit from a ground-breaking three-year agreement that guarantees pay and conditions at “pre-economic crisis” level.

The new collective agreement between the Trade Union of Railwaymen and Transport Construction Workers of Russia and the state-owned Russian Railway company runs from 2011 to 2013. It provides the railway workers with social benefits and privileges many of which are at rates that existed before the crisis in the economy.

The settlement ensures that wages are in line with inflation and provides workers with medical insurance, non-state pension provision, free railway transport, bonuses and social support during retirement.

Nikolay Nikiforov, chairperson of the union and an ITF executive board member, stressed that because of the union’s strong stance, the new collective bargaining agreement was, in some of its provisions, an improvement on the previous settlement from 2008-2010.

The new deal will for the first time also cover the whole company, although regional differences will be reflected in local legal provisions.

OGr

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They did well

17.02.2011 09:03

russian railway workers have throughout the years of capitalist restoration in the ex-USSR faired quite well. Compared to most of the largely impoverished workforce across russia who still often dont get wages for months on end, job losses, bad conditions etc, the railway workers were paid quite well, and on time. The russian government knows it has to keep the rail system running smoothly as its the backbone of the country's transport for the smooth export of it wealthy natural resources, oil, gas etc

Fb
- Homepage: http://aucpbenglishwebsite.blogspot.com

TRAM DRIVERS WITHOUT PAY

19.02.2011 02:46

UKRAINE – DONETSK TRAM DRIVERS WITHOUT PAY: THEY ARE AFRAID TO STRIKE, AS THEY WILL BE SACKED

Workers at “Donelectroavtotrans” tram depot stated they have not received any wages since November 2010. “We have been demanding our wages from management. The only thing we have got out of them is a pledge to us that whoever decides to protest and call for strike action will be sacked,” said one tram driver form route No1 Lyubov Korobova. Director of the depot Vladimir Zakharov declined to comment on the situation. Conductors get paid around 1500 UAN (Ukrainian currency) and trams drivers, around 2000- 2200 UAN. This is not the first time it has happened. In August 2010, violations in payment of wages were recorded after local labour inspectors checked the depot. At the time, the local authorities declared that the documents concerning this were handed in to the local prosecutor office, but since then, there has been no information on the case from them.

OR IN KAZAKHSTAN

Workers of company AO “Zelestroi” did not turn up for work on Wednesday and went on strike in connection with unpaid wages for the past 5 months. The director puts this down to having to pay off debts taking out for buying special equipment, but stated he is trying to obtain further money in order to pay off the 365 workers’ wage arrears next week. The workers have stated they will not return to work until all the wages have been paid up to date. Total sum owing amounts to 60 million tenge ( roughly £ 270 000)


Although these two are examples outside Russia, there is plenty of this inside Russia, but never heard of in the former USSR

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