Wednesday 27 April 2011

AUCPB-CLASS STRUGGLE 26 APRIL

April 19 - Russia - Krasnoyark
MORE THAN A THOUSAND STUDENTS TOOK TO THE RALLY AGAINST THE NEW LAW "ON EDUCATION" (KRASNOYARSK

In Krasnoyarsk on April 19, a student rally took place against the new law "On education". The rally was attended by more than a thousand people. According to the protesters, the new law infringes the rights of 50,000 students in the region, depriving them of social scholarships, financial aid, removing the restrictions on payments for the student hostels. It was organized by the Students' Union of Krasnoyarsk Territory.

Those present were holding placards with the demands "support for students on low incomes," "for concessionary travel on public transport”, and others. At the rally were 14 representatives from 7 higher education institutions in Krasnoyarsk.

At the rally a resolution was adopted which will be sent to Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.

"We hope that today's rally will have some kind of resonance and will receive attention. Previous letters that we sent, were to no avail, there was no reaction. I believe that after today's event the authorities will see the reaction of the students, and the third edition of the law will come out with the amendments that we propose. If this time it does not work, then we can not guarantee that students will not simply take to the streets ", - said Ivan Ackman of Siberian news agency.

Photo



sibnovosti.ru
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22 April - Kazakhstan

WORKERS ON STRIKE AT “KAZAKHMYS” TRANSPORT COMPANIES

From Sunday night to Monday, the workers of the “Kazakhmys” corporation transport companies ATP-1 and ATP-2, TIP and STP went on strike. At midnight, transport workers stopped transporting workers to the mines and copper factory, paralyzing the entire corporation in Dzhezkazgan and Satpaev. The main demand of the workers is higher wages, which now is a minuscule 25-30 thousand tenge.

What is interesting, but only recently, the conciliation commission actually decided to increase wages in May. But not waiting until then, and unable to withstand the psychological impact of the increase in food prices in the region, workers moved to take decisive action and shut down almost all “Kazakhmys” enterprises. Now members of the strike may be subjected to reprisals by the security services and authorities, and the strike action itself likely to be considered "illegal".

We will monitor developments and inform our readers and trade union activists of other companies about the struggle of the transport workers of this corporation.

On April 19, “Kazakhmys” Corporation transport companies ATP-1 and ATP-2, TIP and STP ended their strike due to their demands being partially met by the corporation. Management at “Kazakhmys” has pledged to raise the workers’ wages by 60%, but the striking workers remain unsatisfied and are demanding a 100% wage rise. If in a week's time their demands are not met, the workers of transport companies promise to resume strike action and picket the "Kazakhmys" headquarters of the region.


Source

Socialist Resistance of Kazakhstan


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5 April – Russia – Chelyabinsk region
WORKERS STRIKE AT KATAV-IVANOVSK MECHANICAL PLANT

Workers at the Casting-Mechanical Plant in Katav-Ivanovsk (Chelyabinsk region) recently went on strike. The workers demanded payment of wage arrears, as well as payment of debts owed into the Pension Fund. According to employees of the plant, they have not been paid salaries for four months. To date, workers have been given a small percentage of the total debt.

The workers held a rally near the entrance to the factory, where they had invited the local media and MPs.
At the request of the workers a health and safety commission inspectorates was sent to the plant. The results of the inspection were forwarded to the prosecutor's office. Administrative proceedings were instituted in relation to the head of the plant, as well as a number of officials. Now they must pay fines of 1 to 2,500 rubles.
After these measures did not lead to any positive results, several dozen workers from the steel foundry went on strike. They were joined by workers of the electric department, after warning the plant's management on the eve of the planned action. The strikers demanded not only payment of debts, but also a pay increase, and guarantees of stability of payments.

Thr Casting-Mechanical Plant in Katav-Ivanovsk is the oldest in the area. The company has over the past few years accumulated many debts. Payment of salaries to employees had been suspended in December 2010. Monthly employees receive only 3 to 5 percent of the total debt.

Wednesday 20 April 2011

AUCPB-CLASS STRUGGLE 20 APRIL

Greece 12 April
ASSAULT BY POLICE SPECIAL FORCES ON UNEMPLOYED WORKERS OF THE PERAMA SHIP REPAIR ZONE (GREECE)

On Tuesday 12 April, the banks of Miauli in Piraeus turned into a battlefield. By order of the government, forces of suppression carried out a brutal repression and a pre-planned attack on the unemployed technicians at the ship repair zone on their way to the Piraeus Port Authorities Headquarters. Batons, tear gas and flash grenades were used at full strength. Within minutes the atmosphere was stifling. Seven bleeding workers were taken to hospital "Asklepion Vuly" after a "rain" of clubs, which fell on their heads, and chemical burns from tear gas. Two of the seven were in serious condition, one of them - with a brain injury. The others in a faint and dizzy fell to the ground due to lack of oxygen. To escape from the chemicals, the workers set fire to dustbins.

The PASOK government's decision to unleash "with fire and iron," its decision - to narrow the ship repair area, pushing up the unemployment and poverty of thousands of workers and their families, and, in general, to destroy the ship repair industry of the country, it became apparent.

Suppression forces attacked the workers, when they approached the building of the Piraeus Port Authorities Headquarters. Workers, united in class trade unions, shut down and at 3 pm, gathered in the square of the metro station of Piraeus. From there, they organized and united, they went to the building of the port authorities, to meet with its chairman, G. Anomeritisom.

http://rkrp-rpk.ru/content/view/5122/29/

http://vkpb.ru/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=800:2011-04-17-09-14-33&catid=13:2010-07-08-15-41-24&Itemid=40
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ITALIAN STRIKE AT “AVTOVAZ” RUSSIA
Workers at “AvtoVAZ” staged a "Italian strike", demanding payment of bonus for two months. About 600 employees of the Volga car plant demanded management pay bonuses for "quality", averaging 20-30% of the earnings that the company has not paid them for two months. Workers refuse to work overtime and weekends. The Administration proposes to pay them 9% of the outstanding premiums, but the strikers did not agree to this.

The strike began when workers at one of the metallurgical production shops recieved account sheets for March and saw that they were wrongly underpaid bonuses for quality. Disgruntled workers staged a so-called "Italian strike". They go to work with everyone, but refuse to work overtime, weekends and holidays. Due to this reduced pace of work.

It is known that on Tuesday, April 12, the strikers met with the management of the automobile plant, but the parties failed to reach a compromise. The company offered to pay the disgruntled employees bonuses amounting to 9% of the bounus demanded by the workers. The strikers refused, as they see the blame lieing firmly on the shoulders of the employer for non-payment of bonuses.

The metallurgical shop carries out automobile welding, metallurgical and forging manufacturing, plastic products, and also has a paint shop.

"We do not know exactly what's happening now. I, as chairman of the trade union committee, have not been given a pass to the company's territory and I am strongly kept away from the workforce. I can only say that the issues of product quality arose because some workers may actually be making faults"- told Gazeta.ru, chairman of the trade union “Unity”, Petr Zolotarev.

The management of AvtoVAZ refuses to disclose any details. "The plant operates in normal mode, all lines of the conveyor are stable. A special working group has been set up, and if it decides that the decrease in bonues was unjustified, the money will be paid out,"- says the official press service of the company. Currently, workers have prepared a petition to the management of the company with the demand that it sort out the situation.

Source
Gazety.Ru
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IN KRASNODAR, CANNERY WORKERS DEMAND SALARIES

On April 14 at the regional centre, workers went on strike at SPK "Krasnodar". About a hundred people protested against unpaid wages amounting to more than four months arrears. Debt of the cannery to the workers amounts to 6 million rubles. Yesterday, workers downtooled and gathered in the street. For several months they have not been paid.

The management have two weeks to sort it out, during which workers will continue not to work
“It's all about tax," says Acting Head of the cannery. They calculated the plant debt to be 55 million ruble, went to court, and agreed - to pay into the treasury the money. Factory management decision was contested until the litigation took place, the debt rose to 160 million. The property was seized.
According to the court the plant should pay wages to workers. During the strike at the cannery, bailiffs arrived. They took the enterprise’s assets – cans with peas, tomatoes, pumpkin juice. The products are going to be sold, the proceeds then to be spent on salaries.

According to the bailiff Helena Veligotskoy, within two months, the goods will be sold out and people paid.

NTK News

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MOSCOW – 7 APRIL
WORKERS AT "HEINEKEN" HOLD PICKET IN MOSCOW
On April 7, 2011 in Moscow, outside the business centre "Northern Lights", where the office of the Dutch group of companies "Heineken", a picket took place against the violation of trade union rights of workers and the pressure exerted by the employer on the primary organization of the APK Workers' Union operating at the St. Petersburg brewery.

The reason for the picketing was down to the continuing and constant pressure from the employer on the union of the enterprise in St. Petersburg in order to weaken the organization and squeeze out from the brewery workers the abilty to unite and fight for their rights.

Since 2007, “Heineken Petersburg” has not stopped the spread of temporary agency work - the most ugly forms of contractual relationships in which the user of the company leases employees from employment agencies. At some section, the number of agency workers has already exceeded over half of the workers. In this case, agency workers do not have permanent jobs, fixed schedule, annual leave, and they are not covered by benefits. Wages are lower than those of regular workers. Replacement is done by laying off brewery workers union members, and a set of temporary workers taken on during increased production.

For over a year, the union has been trying to halt the destruction of full-time jobs, has been in talks with the management, but failed to achieve a result and was forced to start a public campaign.

During the picket, not one person from the management of the company "Heineken" come out to speak with the picketeers, despite the fact that the office staff intently watched the scene, standing on the sidelines. Nevertheless, union members of the St. Petersburg company delivered a letter addressed to the Director General of OOO "United Breweries, Heineken, where the document is accepted, but refused to register it, arguing that this "special documentation" that the Secretary has no right to register. Thus, the company's management has demonstrated that it is not going to enter into a dialogue with the union.

In the letter handed to management by the union members the list of demands were:
• to stop the violating Russian legislation at the enterprise (list attached);
• stop the pressure on the union and to restore the sacked union activists;
• arrange for permanent employment of employees performing work on a permanent basis;
• bring to justice those responsible for health and safety at the plant, in connection with an incident, which only by luck did not result in death;
• begin negotiations in good faith with the primary trade union organization at the "Heineken Brewery” in St. Petersburg.

Support and solidarity at the picket was given by the Moscow City and Saratov regional organizations and central office of union employees of the APK, as well as by the trade unionists at Efes-Moscow brewery and the chocolate factory "Bolshevik”

Source: IUF
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8 April – Russia - Vsevolozhsk
WORKERS ELECT MILITANT TRADE UNIONS

At the "Tu Ai Automotive” enterprise at Vsevolozhsk, workers have formed the primary organization of the Interregional Trade Union of the automobile industry workers (MPRA). The workers first entered into the union of Mechanical Engineering, but not seeing any real work of the trade union appealed to the MPRA to help create a real organization for the protection of workers' rights. Today, in the trade union there are more than 20 workers from the enterprise. Alexei Shvaiko is elected chairman.
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Wednesday 6 April 2011

AUCPB-CLASS STRUGGLE 6 APRIL

2 APRIL- Russia - Moscow

OMON RIOT POLICE ATTACK DEFRAUDED EQUITY HOLDERS WHO SET UP TENTS ON GORBATY MOST (BRIDGE) IN MOSCOW

On April 2, activists of the Movement "Odnodolschiki.Ru" together with equity-holders of Mirax Group took to the Gorbaty bridge in Moscow and set up tent camp outside the White House. The action involved at least 500 people. The main demands of the defrauded equity holders is to restore (re) construction of unfinished houses with no additional payments from the equity holders. Equity holders also require the suspension of bankruptcies of unscrupulous developers across the country and the creating of a SINGLE investigative group in the Russian Federation.

At about 14.30, half an hour after the action began, riot police arrived and blocked the setting up of new tents. By this point, the equity-holders managed to put up 14 tents.
Following the talks with the police the protesters agreed to take down their tents and quietly leave the bridge. However, the OMON attacked the organized convoy of equity holders that were leaving. 4 people were arrested, one of whom was arrested in a particularly brutal form. Another participant of the action in the ensuing scuffle had a fingernail torn off.

The arrestees were held at the Presnensky police department a few hours, while police drew up protocols on them for breaking the rules for holding public events.

Photos from the rally outside the White House:
===========================

Russia - Novgorod
ROAD WORKERS GO ON STRIKE IN VELIKY NOVGOROD

03.04.2011 08:59

In Veliky Novgorod on March 31, roadworkers at MUP Remstroydor went on strike. As reported by the Novgorod TV broadcaster "Triad", two sections refused to carry out their duties. The reason for the protest, is according to workers, poor working conditions, including lack of work clothing, as well as delayed payment of wages. The head of one of the sections of MUP Remstroydor Nikolai Kudryashov said that the company is in dire financial straits. According to him, anti-flood measures are currently undergoing and repair work will soon resume.

Source
http://www.regnum.ru/news/economy/1389874.html

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800 people in St. Petersburg come out in defense of dismissed school director

In mid-March outside school № 534 a spontaneous protest of pupils and their parents. The reason was the dismissal of a highly professional teacher-innovator, the school principal Larisa Nikolaevna Kostyra.

Students came with placards: "Hands off our school", "Timurovtsis will not surrender", "Larisa is the best!", Etc.
Timurovtsi students identified themselves by the name of Hero of Russia Timur Sirazetdinova, a graduate of 534-th school, and fighter of the "Typhoon"special forces, who died in Chechnya.

It is worrying that the dismissal of experienced and distinguished teachers of Russian schools under the pretext of "rejuvenation" of pedagogical collectives is systemic. "Larisa is an honored teacher in Russia, and has directed school № 534 for almost 28 years. During these years the school became one of the best in St. Petersburg, but in terms of patriotic education of youth, maybe the best in the city.

The dismissal of the director took place in violation of the basic principle of labour law that prohibits discrimination in employment, in this case - by age (Article 3 of the Labour Code). Moreover, the dismissal occurred in violation of Article 79 of the LC, which requires the employer no less than 3 days before the dismissal in writing, notifying the employee on termination of his employment contract "- said in a statement.

Parents and pupils of school № 534 of Vyborg district of St. Petersburg have expressed opposition to the harsh decision of the administration and the methods of pressure and provocations

"We need this director and nobody else. Our Director - Excellence in Public Education, an honest and decent man, with him the school has blossomed. This director gives our children something that is not given to anybody in this country - neither the media nor the government nor the education system - love for the motherland, real, not ostentatious patriotism, the concept of duty and honor of the Russian people. So here we are defending not only the school principal, not only these walls, here we are defending our future - our children. We shall defend it from lies and vulgarity, the cult of greed and cynicism, which hits their minds from modern mass culture and television.

WE DEMAND:
A repeal of Order № 257-K from March 9, 2011 from the administration of the Vyborg district of St. Petersburg to dismiss L.N.Kostyra as director of school № 534 of Vyborg district of St. Petersburg.

Restore Kostyra Larisa as director of school № 534 from 10 March 2011 and to send her an apology.
Stop the threats and provocations against the teaching staff of school number 534, pupils and parents.

In accordance with the Law on the order of consideration of citizens requested the secretariats and offices - not to send our letters to subordinate bodies that carried out repressive measures against the director and pedagogical staff, and to give a statement to the recipients. "

The appeal raised more than 800 signatures.
This apeal has been joined by G.Y. Sirazetdinova, the mother of Hero Timur
Sirazetdinova, a former pupil, colleagues and commanders.
[02/04/2011]
Source
http://www.sovross.ru/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=587815

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21 March - Ukraine
INDEFINITE PROTEST AT SUMSK MBSPA MACHINE PLANT “FRUNZE” (UKRAINE)

On March 21, in Sumsk, workers at the Sumsk Machine Building Scientific-Production Association (MBSPA) named after Frunze began an indefinite protest against job cuts at the company.

"According to official information, Sumsk city employment centre, the plant have a planned reduction in the number of employees by 1258 people. Dismissal of workers had already begun, but it is only a first step," - said a member of the organizing committee of protests, the chairman of the Free Trade Union of "SNPO Frunze” Alexander Tkachenko.

Currently the company employs approximately 13.5 thousand against 22 thousand people who worked there only a few years ago.

"Consequently, today's dismissal of workers make up about 10% of the total, while according to the collective agreement, during the year, workfoce reduction may not exceed 4% of the total workforce," - said Mr. Tkachenko.

"Even today, on 21 March, at 09.30 near the plant management building, a tent camp has been set up in order to inform workers and to picket the administration of the plant around the clock. Every day at 17.15 there will be rallies," - informed by the organizer.

Meanwhile, according to the management, at the moment, talk is only about optimizing the state of working and restructuring of production. This process provides for the dismissal of a certain number of workers from among the pensioners and the violators of labour discipline, maximizing profitability and reducing production costs.

The Sumsk MBSPA “Frunze" plant is one of the largest machine-building complexes in Ukraine and Europe for producing equipment for the oil, gas, nuclear and chemical industries.

Source UNIAN

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IN PARIS, A RALLY WAS HELD IN SOLIDARITY WITH RUSSIAN STUDENTS

On March 24 in Paris a rally was held in support of the Russian and Ukrainian students. The rally, timed to coincide with the Global Days Of Action "Spring of Resistance", was designed to express support, in particular, with St. Petersburg State University Student Council, the legitimacy of which the Rector of St. Petersburg State University Bogdanov does not want to recognise, the Ukrainian student organisation Direct diya "("Direct Action"), known for its vivid, successful and crowded actions and a a group of students and parents who are fighting for the preservation of the Palace of Youth Creativity in St Petersburg.

The action took place in several stages: first at the University of Paris 8 Saint-Denis, which was occupied by students, lectureres and staff, and during the General Assembly an appeal was read out in support of Russian students and a signatures was collected for a petition for recognition of the autonomy of the Student Council (which has now appeared in the electronic form).

The second step was the a rally itself, attended by about 40 people and lasted from 19.00 to 20.00 on the Place de la Sorbonne. It was attended by students from different universities of Paris, as well as students from Vienna and Barcelona. The participants held placards in different languages: "Solidarity with Russian students", "University - not the KGB", "All power to the Student Council," "University - students, not bureaucrats," "One world - one struggle" and others.

Around 19.00, when the area became crowded with people, the organizers of the rally (they can be recognized by the convolution with the banners), were approached by two men in plain clothes. Showing their ID, the police inquired whether the organizers had permission to hold unscanctioned activities. We had to had to tell the law enforcement officials about the plight of students in Russia. The word "KGB" caused an unexpected show of compassion from the police (or the desire to show that France has the remains of freedom). Therefore, despite the lack of permission, the police gave the protesters the opportunity to quietly hold the event, asking only one thing from them - to leave the area by 8pm. "My chief is caling me every five minutes asking for you to be evacuated from the area. And the wife is calling me home for dinner,"- said one of the police.

Apart from this small incident, the meeting was successful. Anne Nerdrum, head of the Russian section of the international human rights organization Amnesty International was at the rally. She delivered a speech in support of the growing Russian student movement, stressing that the rights of the students have to be fought for by the the students themselves, not the bureaucracy of the university. She also mentioned the issue of censorship and control in Russian universities, which not only contradicts the principle of university education, but also the fundamental rights and freedoms.

During the rally, people continued to collect signatures for a petition and voiced the following demands:

- An end to repression of independent student initiatives in Russia and Ukraine;

- To recognize the autonomy of grassroots student initiatives;

- To recognize the legitimacy of the student council SPSU;

- Keep the building Anichkov Palace for DTYU.

In the coming days, they will continue collecting signatures for paper petitions, which will be sent a letter to the administration of St. Petersburg State University.

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MOSCOW, "UNITED CONFECTIONERS" HOLDING PICKETED

On March 24 at the head office of "United Confectioners" holding in Moscow, a picket of solidarity with workers from the Chelyabinsk factory “Uzhuralkonditer” confectionary plant was held. The authorities authorized participation in the protest of 10 people, but at the picket gathered nearly 20 members of the trade union of food industry workers, food technologist and the International Union of Trade Union of Workers of agroindustrial complex in Moscow. The main demand of the participants was for a decent salary to employees' of Uzhuralkonditer.

For four years working in this factory have not had a pay. Workers' Uzhuralkonditer "receive 3,500 rubles a month, so are forced to work shifts of 12 hours. Though late last year in the region they signed an agreement for the minimum wage 5 900 rubles.

The factory is a holding company "United Confectioners, which also includes the Moscow factories: "Bolshevichka”, “Krasny Oktyabr”, “Rot Front”. Problems are common: the lack of indexing, the failure of the collective agreement. In support of the demands of the Chelyabinsk, the Central Committee of the trade Union of food industry workers held a picketed. It is supported by the International Union food workers IUF and twon committee of Agropromkompleksa union (agricultural union), which collected more than 2,000 signatures in support of the workers.

We recall that in late February, the factory workers themselves held a picket. About two hundred workers took part and demanded higher wages. However, a response from management was not forthcoming.

IA "IKD"
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