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12 August, 2005ICEM news release No. 39/2002
October 17, 2002 saw workers and their unions throughout Russia taking part in marches, meetings and pickets as part of a nationwide day of action under the slogan "For Decent Wages and Social Guarantees."
Russian Timber and Paper Workers Union
In Moscow, as part of the protests there, over 12,000 union activists made a "live chain" standing hand in hand the entire route from the building of the Russian parliament (The Duma) through to the seat of the Russian Government, known as the White House. Jointly, with millions of union activists demonstrating across the country, they demanded decent wages and social guarantees in the course of the reforms presently taking place.
Russian Oil and Gas Workers (ROGWU)
Traffic in central Moscow was brought to a near standstill with the occupants of stylish limousines crawling along amid traffic jams having little alternative other than to read the dozens of concrete worker demands emblazoned on banners. The demands included calls to: Pay Us Our Wages, Abort the Unified Social Tax, Maintain Science, Maintain Youth Institutions, Maintain Recreation and Professional Rehabilitation Services!
Russian Chemical and Allied Workers (RCWU)
Prominent in the demonstrations were all of the ICEM affiliated trade unions as well as the staff of the ICEM Moscow Office. Workers and their unions are demanding a decent life and social investments into the creation of a better future.
At the same time as the demonstrations were taking place in Moscow the ICEM Presidium was meeting in Brussels. ICEM General Secretary was asked by the meeting to send a message of support to the unions.
At the White House
Members of the Presidium were updated on the events as they happened with telephone communications between ICEM Women's Group Vice-President Evgenia Essenina of Sodrujestvo and our affiliates on the streets of Moscow.
Actions took place across the entire country. Together with our affiliates we are still gathering details from the regions but press reports detailed that the action drew to the streets almost 35,000 people in the Maritime territory with over 4,000 people gathered for a rally in the territorial capital Vladivostok alone.
At least 5,000 people gathered for a demonstration in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatski under the same slogans demanding a decent life and social guarantees. Rallies in the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area, where a half of Russian crude oil and gas is produced, demanded a return to the former principles of social security, based on insurance, and urged the local legislature to scrap its decision to raise the rates for housing and communal services.
Recently the scandal of unpaid wages has again reappeared with official statistics showing present arrears totalling 34 billion rubles. Coupled with this changes to the welfare and housing systems as well as all communal services are increasing poverty and unemployment causing real hardship to many people. The ICEM will continue to monitor the situation together with our Russian affiliates and give solidarity to their actions.