19 June 2004 13:23
Miners in Russian Far East go on hunger strike over unpaid wages
[Presenter] Maritime Territory miners are on hunger strike again. Over 100 employees of the Rakovskiy coal mine have
gone on hunger strike until they are paid five months worth of wage arrears in full. A month ago the private
company's miners already staged a hunger strike. Back then the region's administration stepped in and the
company's management appeared to have found the money. However, miners say that the schedule of debt payments that
was agreed with the management is not being adhered to. The management blame the situation on the difficult financial
position of the company that is on the brink of bankruptcy.
[Correspondent Pavel Sirotin] This time 105 people are taking part in a hunger strike at the Rakovskiy coal mine. The
company owes its employees three months worth of wages for the last year and another two months worth of wages for this
year. This is the miners' second action of protest. A month ago they were paid part of the money. The protesters
say that they are still owed an average of R50,000 [about 1,725 dollars] each. Having learnt of employees'
intention to stage the protest, the company's management ordered to pay R2,000 to R3,000 to each miner.
[Unidentified protester] A person has worked hard and now has to risk their health simply to receive what is due to
them. And what they get are just kopecks. Look at what he has got [points at a man next to him]. And he has small
children to feed.
[The man, showing the money] Here is R2,000 [under 70 dollars].
[Another unidentified man] That's for a month of work.
[Correspondent] The protesters say that months of living without any money mean a personal tragedy for each of them,
while participation in this protest is the last hope they have to get what is due to them.
[Unidentified protester] Take me, for example. My marriage broke up and that's why I am here.
[Correspondent, asking the protester] Do you mean your wife could not understand it?
[The protester] Of course she couldn't. Would yours have understood it if you were not to bring home any money
for eight months?
[Another protester] I need to pay for my next term at university by 1 July. If I don't do that, I will not be
able to continue my studies.
[Correspondent] The coal mine employs over 2,000 people. All of them live in nearby small settlements and villages.
There aren't many jobs around. Chronic wage arrears drive people to look for sources of income in the taiga.
Natalya is a qualified engineer. She works as an assistant surveyor at the mine. In order to feed and clothe her three
children, she sells mushrooms on the side of the road. [Passage omitted]
The once profitable private coal mine is believed to have fallen victim to poor management. A criminal investigation
has been opened against the company's former owner for not paying her staff. The court hearing is scheduled to
start in early July. The company's new management say they are doing everything they can to repay the debts but
they cannot do much because the mine is on the verge of bankruptcy.
[Aleksandr Savelyev, deputy director of the Rakovskiy mine] At the moment we are paying back wages for April and May,
although the law says that wages for May must be paid on 20 June. In other words, as of today we still have not paid
wages for the last year. A schedule for recovering this debt has been compiled and agreed with the staff.
[Correspondent] The previous hunger strike at Rakovskiy ended thanks to intervention from the region's
authorities. The latter say that they managed to solve the crisis by doing some persuading of the debtors, whereas the
company's representatives maintain that money was obtained from the regional budget. The coal mine management are
not trying to conceal the fact that they would not object to some assistance from the state this time either
In the meantime, the protesters are discussing the Russian president's forthcoming visit to Maritime Territory.
They hope that the military exercise held in the territory is not the only thing Vladimir Putin will pay attention
to.
[Ren TV] |
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