25 May 2004 12:56
Russian union leaders stage hunger strike at northern mine
Inta, 25 May: Two trade union leaders at the Intinskaya mine in Komi have declared an indefinite hunger strike.
The chairmen of the mine union committees of the Russian Trade Union of Coal Industry Workers [Rosugleprofsoyuz] and
the Independent Trade Union of Russian Miners, Fanil Kalimulin and Eduard Butskoy, are demanding that wage arrears be
cleared, that wage and salary rates be indexed and a timetable drawn up for clearing social deduction debts. The miners
are owed about R124m.
"The protest action at the mine given the current situation of the Intaugol [Inta Coal] company and its
enterprises can be described, at the very least, as strange," company director-general Vadim Larin said. "All
the efforts of the company management and of the trade unions is currently aimed at resolving the main problem -
securing finance for the two mines Zapadnaya-bis and Kapitalnaya which are being closed down. Hundreds of people are in
a very difficult position, one that is beyond compare with the situation of the workers at Intinskaya or Vostochnaya
mines."
[ITAR-TASS news agency] |
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