20 November, 2007The union has been negotiating for four months without management seriously considering proposals.
RUSSIA: The Interregional Trade Union of Automobile Workers (ITUAW), which represents workers at the Ford car assembly plant in Vsevolozhsk, has been in wage negotiations with the company for four months. But Ford management has thus far refused to seriously consider the union's reasonable proposals or to engage in proper reconciliation procedures, according to the union.
On November 7, the workers went out on a one-day warning strike at the plant located outside St. Petersburg where the company builds the popular Ford Focus model.
As management continued to ignore workers' demands, the workers decided to down their tools and begin an industrial action at midnight November 19. The strike comes during a period of booming car sales for Ford in Russia. Workers are demanding an increase in the basic monthly wage to 28,000 roubles ($1,143), up from 19,000 roubles, and a new collective labour agreement.
Russian consumer prices are already running at least 1.3 percentage points higher than the government's 8.0 percent yearly inflation target. As a result, factory managers across the country are facing demands for higher wages, according to news reports.
"We have been waiting for four months, since the end of July, but it's all gone nowhere. The management of the plant has not cooperated with the reconciliation committee," said Alexei Etmanov, chairman of the Ford trade union branch of the ITUAW/VKT.
"Now they're trying to win some time. On Dec. 15, the Christmas holidays will start. Then we will see no negotiations until mid-January." Etmanov said, indicating that such delays by management have occurred before.
The IMF and its affiliates have sent expressions of solidarity with the workers and union at the Ford Vsevolozhsk plant in their fight for better wages.
On November 7, the workers went out on a one-day warning strike at the plant located outside St. Petersburg where the company builds the popular Ford Focus model.
As management continued to ignore workers' demands, the workers decided to down their tools and begin an industrial action at midnight November 19. The strike comes during a period of booming car sales for Ford in Russia. Workers are demanding an increase in the basic monthly wage to 28,000 roubles ($1,143), up from 19,000 roubles, and a new collective labour agreement.
Russian consumer prices are already running at least 1.3 percentage points higher than the government's 8.0 percent yearly inflation target. As a result, factory managers across the country are facing demands for higher wages, according to news reports.
"We have been waiting for four months, since the end of July, but it's all gone nowhere. The management of the plant has not cooperated with the reconciliation committee," said Alexei Etmanov, chairman of the Ford trade union branch of the ITUAW/VKT.
"Now they're trying to win some time. On Dec. 15, the Christmas holidays will start. Then we will see no negotiations until mid-January." Etmanov said, indicating that such delays by management have occurred before.
The IMF and its affiliates have sent expressions of solidarity with the workers and union at the Ford Vsevolozhsk plant in their fight for better wages.