KHARKOV: SHEVCHENKO FACTORY WORKERS AGAIN TAKE TO THE PICKET LINE
10.07.2011 05:05
Factory workers at the Shevchenko Plant once again come out in protest. More than a hundred factory workers demand payment of salaries. To date, the company's debts to its employees amounts to more than 25 million hryvnia.
Alexander Kotelnikov is owed by the company for the last four years, more than thirty thousand hryvnia. A total debt to its employees is over 25 million. Back in March, workers protested outside the walls of the House of Soviets. Then the governor promised the union that by July all debts will be paid.
But workers decided not to wait until mid-July. They say they are concerned about another problem: many of them - for the sake of economy – have been transferred to a two-day working day. And the salary, if paid, it is paid selectively. Tatiana Pshenichnaya, an employee of the plant to them says: "If we get something, we'd have kept quiet because it was so little. On Friday, the plant was given money, people arrrived to get wages and they are not on the lists of those elegible for pay. At home we need light, gas, and everything else."
Those who were fortunate, received part of their salaries last week. Debts are paid for by the sale of property at the plant. At the auction the company's management was planning to rescue up to 12 million hryvnia, but got less than 225 000. Activist Paul Tishchenko - he is in the forefront of protests - is outraged that none of the management came out to speak to the factory workers,.
Information Center of the Inter-Regional Strike Committee
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CONTINUOUS RALLY IS IN ZHANAOZEN
10.07.2011 04:56
Kazakhstan. Five thousand striking oil workers and their families take part in ongoing rally at Independence Square by the city akimat in Zhanaozen. At night, more workers and local residents gathered. As a result of mass protests all detained oil workers on hunger strike were released from the police department building IVS Zhanaozen, and the local authorities, not expecting such a reaction, were in a daze. Despite provocation, the intelligence agencies failed to set up a new shanyraksky events in Mangistau and workers organized to hold rallies and pickets. The hunger strike also continues.
On July 9, protesters sent their negotiators and demanded from the authorities a visit from the Prime Minister, the CEOs of "KazMunaiGaz", the immediate release of trade union lawyer at JSC "Karazhanbasmunai" Natalia Sokolova and leader of the workers at “Ozenmunaygaza", Akzhanat Aminov, as well as the reinstatement of all dismissed workers. Only by satisfying those demands will lead totalks with the government and employers. What is interesting is that also the yellow trade unions have intensified. In words, they support the protesters now, but yesterday worshiped the authorites and bosses at KMG. Rather, it is an attempt to seize the initiative and strike leaders, but it's too late, as the mass of workers said that they only trust talks by Natalia Sokolova and Mukhtar Umbetov.
On the morning of July 9, participant Natalia Azhigalievu in the hunger strike was hospitalized by poisoned vapors of gasoline, due to her yesterday, completely dousing herself with fuel and threatened a mass act of self-immolation. Now Natalia is in the city hospital in Zhanaozen next to another activist Rosa Tuletaevoy for which she was also prosecuted under article 164 of the Criminal Code "inciting social discord." Now the therapy department, like the hospital, is surrounded by police squads checking the contents of all bags, including security officials refusing to hand things to Natalia Azhigalievoy and her sister Rosa Tuletaevoy who were arrested and taken to the police station.
Also, according to Natalia, the road leading into the camp of hunger strikers in the company "Ozenmunaygaz" has a tight cordon of police and is blocked by riot police. Workers, who were guarding the hungry are not being allowed in and not even to take water in. The situation in the region remains tense, but yesterday's clash with strikers stirred up the oil workers even more, and all the local residents who intend to continue the fight to the end and hold a continuous rally in Zhanaozen.
SDK News Service
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PUBLIC UTILITIES WORKERS IN SAMARA HOLD UNSANCTIONED RALLY AND BLOCK PROSPECT METALLURGISTS
In Samara on July 7, staff at the housing and maintenance departments of the municipal enterprise "Metallurg" and "Energy" came out in protest. They demanded payment of wages, delayed for three months, and provision of equipment.
Prior to the protest action, the workers at the communal services appealed to the head of Kirov district and the city of Samara, sent a letter to the Governor, the Prime Minister and the President of Russia. Salary debt has exceeded several million rubles. "Energy" alone, owes its employees 20 million rubles. In addition, they have not been paid in three months and for five months, not given money to purchase inventory. In "Energy" now work 20 cleaners instead of 47. People are leaving due to unpaid wages.
A cleaner, clearing rubbish from 13,000 square feet of lawn and 2000 m of asphalt, receives a 4200 rubles per month.
The meeting started at 9 am by the administration building of Kirov region. The action was attended by 300 people, representatives of thirteen housing departments. Not having received any clear explanation from the officials, employees of public services went to the office of the companies that owe tens of millions of rubles. However, there the situation is not clear. Someone in the audience shouted: "That's it! Enough! Block the road!". Then for 20 minutes, Prospect Metallurgists was blocked. The police was able to unblock the road and arrested 12 members of the road block. Protocols have been drawn up on them based on violation of the order of carrying out a protest.
The administration of the Kirov district said they did not have any influence on the management of the company. But an hour after the resumption of traffic on Prospect Metallurgists, in the Kirov administration an emergency meeting was being held with the heads of management of the companies operating in the area, as reported by the management of information and analysis of city administration. According to Acting head of district administration, Vyacheslav Konovalov, on July 7, two hours after a meeting with communal services workers of "Energy", customers should transfer all funds over to the debt. The situation is under the personal control of Konovalov.
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RIOT COPS DISPERSE HUNGER STRIKING OIL WORKERS IN ZHANAOZEN
10.07.2011 04:47
A correspondent of the portal "Republic" was telephoned by one of the striking workers at "Ozenmunaygaz" and said that the police force is dispersing the tent city of striking oil workers by force. A group of hunger strikers doused themselves with gasoline to commit self-immolation to protest the actions of the police.
- Several buses full of police arrived. The fact is that today people in Zhanaozen decided to hold a supper, and had killed several sheep for this. And once we started to gather at the table, police appeared in riot helmets. They demanded that we all disperse, and then those who tried to rebel, were beaten with batons and snatched. About ten people were taken to the buses. Some strikers began to disperse to their cars, locking themselves inside them. Several cars left for Zhanaozen. I think the city will now begin an action, they said they would go to the city - an oil worker said by telephone.
According to him, about 30 police officers surrounded the strikers in a tight cordon (kettle).
- They have not allowed us to even eat in peace, and then started throwing our dishes around, like we are dogs, how is this possible at all. Of course, we were indignant. Because we are a day without food, and right now some of the officers began to approach the "Gazelle", where our hunger strikers are. Frankly, I'm afraid that today the city will start something, people are very angry, and already a few cars wilth oil workers have left to go to Zhanaozen.
At a time when we were talking, were heard the shouts of people and noise - talking all the time broke up. It seems that there really is something going on. We will monitor the situation.
19.20. As reported by Ayzhangul Amirov, an activist registered by the "Alga" Party, who is currently in Aktau, and a group of hunger strikers, led by Natalia Azhigalievoy have poured gasoline over themselves to commit self-immolation to protest the actions of police. The police retreated from the hunger strikers, but started to snatch the other strikers.
19.37. According to the latest information, the oil workers have gathered on the square in front of akimat Zhanaozen.There must be about a thousand people. But the police are trying to oust them.
22.33. As one of the workers' of OMG reports, currently on the central square in front of Akimat Zhanaozen have gathered about 5000 people. Among these are residents, students, women with children. The building of the akimat, a light is on but no one has left the area. The area is cordoned off by police, and police buses are everywhere.
22.34. Now, only the hunger strikers are at the strike area, and the rest of the people are in the square – reports Ayzhangul Amirov, an activist registered by the "Alga" Party. According to her, the strike has been continuing for over than 40 days. "40 Days is a special number for the Muslims, and a dinner was dedicated to this. This is a Muslim ritual act for a Muslim which has become a national tradition and has special meaning. It turns out that for the police, is nothing sacred? If they defiled this even" - said Ayzhangul with indignation .
Source:
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PEASANT SQUAD SAGRA PROTECTS THE VILLAGE FROM PUNITIVE FORCES
10.07.2011 04:38
Sagra - another name-symbol that characterizes the fault of the current crisis in Russian society. Earlier this household name became the Karelian town of Kondopoga, then the village of Kuschevki, more recently - one of the central Moscow squares - Manege. Sagra though, is a small village in the Urals 40 km from Ekaterinburg.
But events in it are no less significant than in the capital. They give real meaning to the fact that until recently seemed to many only a metaphor, an exaggeration: punitive forces, policemen, peasants defending themselves and your house with pitchforks and hunting rifles. Because there is no other protection any more from the criminal mayhem, and the state in the face of local government or law enforcement agencies keep themselves aloof at best.
Problems in Sagra began after a gypsy family settled there, and according to local residents, took up the drug trade. According to villagers, they have repeatedly called on the police to deal with this matter, but the police did not respond. How acute the problem of drug addiction in Russia really is, people are well aware of. Moreover, the Urals is one of the regions where this disaster is especially strong. And now – from the militia renamed into the police, it turns out, one should not wait for protection. Then the people of Sagra themselves have forced drug traffickers leave the village. The gypsies decided to take revenge using the hands of members of Sverdlovsk ethnic groups.
The villagers of Sagra were warned in advance that they were coming to "sort them out”. And again, everyone else knew about this except for the police for some reason. At least, not one Traffic Police Post stopped and checked out the column of 15 vehicles, the passengers of which smashed up a car along on the road full of pensioners going to their dachas and beat up a teenager on a motorcycle. In fact, it is alas, nothing unusual for our country. Even armed terrorists with explosives repeatedly travelled hundreds of miles, passing through police cordons unchecked.
An unexpected result was that the villagers themselves did not allow the punitive locals into the village. Nine men, who all had three hunting rifles, pitchforks and axes repelled an attack by dozens of armed skinhead thugs, with cold arms, bats and machetes used by the Caucasians. One of the attackers, an ethnic Azerbaijani, a Georgian citizen Faig Musaev, received a shot charge in the chest and later died. The shooting lasted for about an hour. The cannonade, say locals, was akin to a war. However, the villagers called the incident a war. They suggest that the attackers might come back and just in case, prepare for a possible defence.
Again, hope is low for any help from the law enforcement bodies. After all, when it became known that dozens of armed men at night were going to the village, its inhabitants called the police. But no one came. One of the members of the village of the defence, Sergey Zubarev, according to him, personally phoned the police, and said the police came only a day later and asked him to come to the station. He went – and he was detained.
Allegedly, the two arrested were demanded by police to admit guilt, saying that the victim was the nephew of a thieving kingpin, so it was better to confess, otherwise everybody in the village would be worse off, because "this would not be forgiven."
Sergey Zubarev was interrogated for eight hours. This is how he tells it: "I ask for water - the interrogator raises a bottle, shakes it, but does not give me water. In the room are about eight people, all of them smoking, and I am a non-smoker. It's difficult. In the evening a man came in, and asks if I will confess? I was told that I had been detained on suspicion of murder. I immediately handed my things over, go into the cell, and in one of my ears, an interrogator whispers, that in any case I will have Article 228 thrown at me, as among my things which were handed over to the police upon being detained, will be found drugs – and this will mean prison from 8 to 20 years. On Monday, the investigator began to dictate about admitting the murder, but I told them all how it was. I was released."
The second detainee from Sagra, Victor Gorodilov was released,. However, they both remain suspects under Article 213 of the Criminal Code - "Hooliganism", in which they face up to seven years in prison.
Anastasia Uderevskaya’s lawyer says that during his interrogation of Zubarev, around the district police department, a number of Azerbaijanis gathered, and head of the Verkhnyaya Pyshma police, native of Baku, Marat Khalimov was especially zealous in order to force a confession from Zubarev,.
Naturally, the police deny this. How to deny the fact that the cause of the incident was drugs. "The Gypsy, who lives in the village for the last 7 and half years, never figured in the drugs related cases," - said the chief of the Interior Ministry of Sverdlovsk region, Mikhail Borodin.
But if you ignore the complaints of citizens then there will be nothing to do! But whatever it was in reality, the situation will all perfectly fit in documents. We recall the Kuban Kuschevku: while there was no mass slaughter that killed 12 people, the authorities did not want to pay attention to the rampant crime, fused with the police. And the locals for almost a decade were under wraps there by everyday fear.
The villagers of Sagra were not afraid. And if they will allow themselves to be intimidated further, and the case is "shut up", then perhaps they will get at least some justice. At least, when it received public attention, something was put into motion. An hour long shooting-spree arranged by visiting armed men is still referred to as a "mass brawl". However, the detained members of the defence of the village were released, and finally (almost a week after the attack), a criminal case has been opened against the very criminals, which at first no one thought would happen. While hot on the trail and if you wanted to, it would be quite easy. Now it is much harder: "They're now in hiding, and I think many of them have long moved out of the Sverdlovsk region and even from Russia. There were almost no Russian citizens among them, the majority being migrants,"- says representative of the Azerbaijani community of Yekaterinburg, Assad Kuliev in an interview with "Ura.Ru".
Only on the 6th day, when it gained wide public resonance, the Sverdlovsk Oblast government made it clear: what happened in Sagra was not a trivial “drunken” fight or a "criminal gang fight." Governor Misharin assembled the heads of the Federal Drug Control Service and police of the region to discuss the situation. On July 7 Sagra was had a visit by the head of the Investigative Committee of Russia, Alexander Bastrykin.
Whether or not the authorities draw any conclusions, is not yet clear at all. Bastrykin also went to Kuschevku, and you wont find a bigger case that what happened there. But now one of its main defendants, Sergei Tsepovyaz, is released on remand: He was accused only in the "earlier concealment." So soon it turns out that there was no gang!
And now law enforcement leadership is doing everything possible in order to make out the attack on Sagra was in no way linked to drug trafficking, because then you have to be responsible for the impunity of the drug traffickers.
The second theme, which the authorities want to avoid in every way - is the national theme. The men defending Sagra say that at the time it made no difference what nationality the gang came from. However, they also point out that they were Caucasians, in this case - Azerbaizhanis, and this is no accident.
Ethnic organized crime feels impunity especially in today's Russia. The magic word "diaspora", or rather, its rich and influential leaders have repeatedly shielded and saved their own people from deserved punishment. So the indigenous inhabitants of Russia see the word itself as been associated with some criminal ethnic group. So it is not without some grounds to claim that the villagers of Sagra got lucky. They were not accused of kicking out of the village, bandits and Roma drug traffickers because of hatred based on nationality. But they could well have been written in as "Russian fascists".
When the state frees itself from its direct functions, the citizens have no other option, but to defend themselves. Including defending themselves from such a state. In the Urals, this kind of life has led people to taking up pitchforks and shotguns in the truest sense.
Russian source:
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FOREIGN SAILORS IN THE PRIMORSKY TERRITORY ON STRIKE
On July 8 at the port of Posiet Primorye, a foreign crew on board "Porto Maina" (16 sailors -Filipinos, Romanians and captain) went on strike due to unpaid wages, which the owner, a Greek company had not paid the sailors .
The seafarers' have not received wages for three months. The amount of debt is approaching170 thousand dollars. The sailors informed the owner in advance about their intention to strike, after which the owner promised to repay the debt, and even allegedly transferred about 70 thousand dollars to the accounts of the sailors. However, they never received the money. So the sailors have closed the holds where there is cargo of coal, and have refused to unload the ship.
The ship "Porto Maina" is running under a Liberian flag of "convenience". The term "flag of convenience" means that the owner of the vessel registers it abroad and pay taxes to a state that provides offshore discount facilities, but the crews often do not have even minimal social guarantees.
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CHRONICLE OF CLASS STRUGGLE (JUNE 15 - JULY 1, 2011.)
PROTEST IN ATHENS ENDS IN CLASHES WITH POLICE
On June 15, during another strike of workers in front of the Greek Parliament in Athens, which was attended by about 10 thousand people ended in clashes with police.
Initially, the demonstrators were planning to create a "human chain" and block the parliament building, but they did not succeed: the police blocked access to the main entrance. Therefore, at first the protesters against the policies of the leadership of the country were limited by the fact that they chanted slogans calling for the abandonment of budget cuts. But then the police were pelted with flying stones and bottles of yogurt. In response, the Greek police fired tear gas.
The clashes wounded 10 strikers and 8 policemen. The strike was the third protest, organized by trade unions for private sector workers (GSEE) and civil servants (Adedy) since the beginning of the year. Demands are for ending tough economic measures that the Government is implementing in exchange for loans from the IMF and the EU (110 billion euros).
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STRIKE BY BLIND WORKERS AT A CALL CENTER IN MOSCOW ENDS IN VICTORY
The strike that began on June 15 by blind workers in a Moscow call centre over non-payment of wages ended in victory on the same day. The main demands of the strikers were payment of their entire salary arrears, which totalled about 200 million rubles. This demand was satisfied.
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IN BRAZIL, WORKERS BEGAN AN INDEFINITE STRIKE
On June 17, about five thousand workers at Bosch in Curitiba (Brazil) rejected the new offer by management on the distribution of profits, known in Brazil as “PLR”, and went on an indefinite strike.
The original proposal by Bosch was the payment of R4600 for achieving the set goals of 100%, but then the company increased the amount of up to R4,800. Workers demand a double increase in their share of the profits.
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Chinese workers have achieved the victory with a strike at the Kumho Company,
Starting from June 20, the company for three days had to stop production because of strikes protesting at low wages.
As a result of the strike, Kumho agreed to raise workers' wages in all four of its plants located in mainland China.
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Workers at the Priluksk "Belkozin" again take to the streets
Workers at Prilutsk "Belkozin" plant a year ago having achieved repayment of debts on wages and tariff increases due to a series of protests and strikes, were once again forced to resort to collective action.
Of the only enterprise in Ukraine and one of the few in Europe now for the production of collagen sausage, threatened closure is looming over workers. Demanding to maintain the unique enterprise, the workers came out on June 8 on a picket in front of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine in Kiev and on June 17 – at the entrance to the company.
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Victory to Strikers at “Elevatorremstroya"
On June 20, workers' at “Elevatorremstroy" began receiving their pay for April, and in May, the company's management promised to pay the debt before the end of the month. We recall that 45 workers of the company on May 15 did not stop the strike, demanding payment of wage arrears. Through unity and solidarity, the strikers were able to turn the tide in their favour.
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In Zimbabwe, teachers demand higher wages
On June 23, in Zimbabwe, teachers strike in demand of raised salaries by 150 percent. In addition, they urge the militants to stop attacking the president. (The teachers, especially in rural areas, are repeatedly attacked by the militants of President Robert Mugabe).
Participants in the strike also demand government assistance in the acquisition of new housing and solving transportation problems.
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Russian sailors get paid under the threat of strikes
On June 23, Russian sailors from the ship «Lady Fox», threatened to strike and then received back pay amounting to 75 thousand dollars. On June 20 crew «Lady Fox», announced that due to unpaid wages they would go on strike in South Korea. The sailors were planning to refuse to unload the ship.
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Employees of the military sanatorium "Sukhumi" block a central highway
On June 30, in Sukhumi, about five hundred employees of the military sanatorium of Defence Ministry in protest against the closure of the sanatorium, closed the central highway, resulting in an hour long traffic jam.
Activists blocked the road and categorically demanded that the authorities pay attention to the problem of closing the sanatorium and the firing by the Russians of more than 1,000 employees.
"Despite our repeated appeals to the Russian leadership, the pickets in front of the parliament and walking from office to office of the Abkhaz leadership, we have not received any clear answer from the Russian side, nor from the government of Abkhazia" – said outraged representatives of the group.
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Strike begins at steel plant in Nazarovo
At JSC "East-Siberian Steel Plant" in Nazarovo (Krasnoyarsk Territory) a difficult situation has recently formed. The enterprise wrote off debts to creditors, which resulted in later problems with production and wage arrears.
According to available information, the company owes the workers about 9 million rubles for two months. Because of the debt, a section of the plant staff went on strike on June 30.
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Railway strike in Jamaica
On June 30, railway workers of Jamaica began a general strike in protest against delays in wage payments, and is the fifth demonstration and protest this month. Working for more than two months, they have not been paid wages, and problems with the payments began in 2010.
Siberian division of the AUCPB
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KAZAKHSTAN. LEADER OF STRIKING OIL WORKERS AKZHANATA AMINOV, IS BEING MURDERED IN PRISON!
07.07.2011 09:34
The condition of union leader of striking workers at "Ozenmunaygaz", Akzhanata Aminov, who was arrested two months under Article 164 of the Criminal Code for "incitement of social discord" and Article 335 for "organization of an illegal strike," has deteriorated sharply because of refusal to provide him with medical care. We were told about this by activists on the strike committee, stating that this is being done deliberately by police as the authorities are well aware that the trade union leader was ill with diabetes of the second group! In fact, it's a slow death torture, when a person is dying in front of your eyes and nothing is done. This is done with one purpose - to break the will and the health of one of the leaders of the workers.
To date, Aminov just been thrown into a cell, completely isolated from the outside world and deprived of his medical care. In jail his injection of insulin is deliberately banned and now he is not given any medication at all. In other matters in Aktau prison, there is not even a doctor, and all transfers of medication to the prisoner have been denied! His wife, close relatives and associates in the union are not allowed to visit him. Investigator Kushkinov and detective Onalbekov authorizing the arrest, just run away from workers and human rights activists, and are refusing to comment on the situation.
The body of Akzhanata Aminov, as reported by his fellow inmates, is covered with sores, which means that dehydration has set in due to lack of medication that should be given every three hours. If the situation does not change, the trade unionist may simply die, which is what the company KazMunaiGaz "KMG", the Chinese corporations, intelligence agencies and Acorda want. We need to hold immediate protests and large-scale organization of solidarity to stop the torture and humiliation of a leader of the working class in the Mangistau region.
On 6 July at 1130 am in Almaty, activists of the Socialist Movement of Kazakhstan intend to picket the Consulate General of China and other administrative buildings, demanding an end to discrimination and repression against striking workers in the oil and gas industry.
Socialist Movement of Kazakhstan
Videos of strikers being dispersed by riot police
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