Tenkte dette ville vćre av interesse...
----- Forwarded message from Bob Olsen <bobolsen@interlog.com> -----
Date: Wed, 22 Dec 1999 21:59:35 -0500
To: president@clc-ctc.ca
From: Bob Olsen <bobolsen@interlog.com>
Subject: Russian workers attacked 22 Dec, 1999
NEW INFORMATION from Steve Kerr (ISWoR Canada)
Just now at 7:20 Kusbass time (01:20 GMT), (December 21)
I spoke with a coal miner in Gernigovets, a man by the
name of Igor Usterzhanin.
From: "Steve Kerr" <stephen.kerr@sympatico.ca>
To: "Bob Olsen" <bobolsen@interlog.com>
Subject: Article on Chernigovets Mine
Date: Wed, 22 Dec 1999 16:05:29 -0500
Workers Defend Open Pit Mine in Chernigovets
by Stephen Kerr
Toronto Dec 22nd, 1999
Igor Usterzhanin is a 34 year old miner and a leader of the strike committee
at the worker's controlled Chernigovets mine in the town of Berezovsky
in the Kemerovo region of Russia. He is currently hold up in the
administrative offices of the mine, together with approximately 500 others.
The building is surrounded by 200 Russian OMON, or special forces troops,
who have captured one of the workers leaders as a hostage. The siege at the
Chernigovets mine and the reasons behind it lay bare the contradictions in
the Russian state, and offer an explanation for the current hysterical war
in Chechnya.
Formerly state run, the mine was turned into a closed joint stock company or
ZAO in 1992. A ZAO only sells a limited number of shares. It employs 3200
men and women, and is the principal industry in a town of 60,000. Shares
were sold, and the majority were purchased by the workers themselves, who
are thus the legitimate owners of the pit. So in effect, upon privatization,
the workers themselves became controlling shareholders in the company,
establishing direct worker's control of a factory in Russia for the
first time since 1917.
The mine is atypical of a Russian industrial operation in the late
90's. Workers are paid fairly well, and on time. Igor Usterzhanin
earns 220 USD per month, a decent wage in today's rural Russia. This
in comparison with factories run by private owners who have asset stripped
them, leaving workers unpaid, sometimes for years, and without reinvestment
in new capital infrastructure.
Igor interprets the good conditions at the Chernigovets as the direct result
of worker's control. Perversely, the workers managed to achieve
through this particular privatization something approaching the condition
that was crushed by Stalinism after 1924: worker's control of the
means of production. In most factories and industries it has meant wholesale
destruction akin to war.
It might seem curious then that the shining example of a worker controlled
and operated factory which can pay it's workers on time should be so
offensive to the Red Governor of the Kemerovo region, Aman
Tuleyev, a powerful member of the Communist Party. But Tuleyev is adamantly
opposed to the mine remaining in the hands of its workers, despite the
complete legality of the worker's position. Tuleyev, may be a
communist in name, but the political realignment of post Soviet Russia in
the 90's has revealed the old Soviet Communist party and now the
Communist Party of the Russian Federation for what it was; the political
instrument of the ruling oligarchy or nomenklatura.
Tuleyev is now attempting to install a new commercial director, appointed by
him, as the head of the factory. Though this move is blatantly illegal,
Tuleyev is using the corrupt court system to challenge the authority of the
workers to control the pit. He has gathered together behind him the force of
the state to that effect, contrary to the laws of that state.
Usterzhanin is unequivocal in the need for outside support and solidarity.
"Tell the world how our human rights are respected in Russia." He said.
"Help up please!" he pleaded with me twice.
Usterzhanin's political positions are extremely revealing about the
attitudes of ordinary working people in Russia today. In the recent
election his okrug or electoral district was won by the Unity
candidate, the party of Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. "Unity is a sham. It
serves only one purpose, to keep Putin in power. Beyond that it is nothing."
When asked about the war in Chechnya, he became solemn. "Chechnya is not
worth the tear of one child." He said. "We don't need that war right
now." When asked about democracy, and his personal political affiliation he
could not name a political party, but said rather that his hopes were with
labour organizations like the union "Zashita" or defense, which together
with the Movement for a Worker's Party has elected Oleg Shein from
Astrakhan as its only deputy.
Usterzhanin's idea of democracy is equally revealing. "Workers need to
be educated and encouraged to take control of their workplaces. Democracy
can only happen when people can control their own lives, when workers can
take the country under their control. We have in Russia what we call a
karmannii parliament a pocket parliament. Power is in the
hands of a few men."
Usterzhanin however does not consider himself a revolutionary, though he
freely admits that his ideas of freedom come from Marx and Lenin. But it is
clearly on the shoulders of Usterzhanin and his fellows that a revolution is
happening in Russia.
The great upsurge of working class anger against the Russian state and the
private power behind it has created a great political instability in the
power centre of the country, and exposed the inherent weakness of the
Russian state. It was precisely this political weakness that necessitated
the Kremlin to launch the war in Chechnya, both as a distraction from the
pressing domestic problems that flow out of the political failure of the
Russian state domestically, and in response to its political isolation
internationally after the NATO war. The Chechen war and the elections to the
State Duma, elections that in many instances were bought, display the
inability of the Russian elite and their state to deal honestly with the
pressing problems of the day, and to adequately respond to the economic
crises created by reforms. As the Duma elections conferred a
new legitimacy on the new party of power, "Edinstvo" or Unity, workers in
Russia can expect a new wave of repression to ensue from the state and
military structures. Chernigovets is the first indication that these powers
feel the confidence to act against the real political enemy of the new
Russian state: the organized working class.
It is up to workers not under such severe repression as that suffered by the
Russian miners to speak out and protest. Call the Russian consulate in your
country and organize a meeting of your Union local or community group around
this important issue.
From: "Steve Kerr" <stephen.kerr@sympatico.ca>
To: "Bob Olsen" <bobolsen@interlog.com>
Subject: Fw: Russia: Armed Siege Against Kusbass Mineworkers
Date: Tue, 21 Dec 1999 21:44:16 -0500
-----Original Message-----
From: ISWoR@aol.com <ISWoR@aol.com>
To: ISWoR@aol.com <ISWoR@aol.com>
Date: December 21, 1999 9:31 PM
Subject: Russia: Armed Siege Against Kusbass Mineworkers
RUSSIA INFO-LIST
from International Solidarity with Workers in Russia - ISWoR@aol.com
***********************************************************
ISWoR web-site - http://members.aol.com/ISWoR/english/index.html
***********************************************************
ARMED SIEGE AGAINST WORKERS ORGANISED BY "COMMUNIST" GOVERNOR AND TYCOON
BEREZOVSKY
22 Dec. 1999
At 4am Kusbass time, we received news of a siege by armed riot police now
taking place at the large open-pit Chernigovets mine, in the town of
Berezovsky, in the Kusbass region. This is the same pit from which we
brought
you an appeal in the autumn (see ISWoR website). They have been sent in by
the regional Governor, Aman Tuleyev. He is known to be in league with
infamous Russian tycoon Boris Berezovsky, who is determined to wrest control
of the pit from the miners, the actual majority share-holders of the plant.
The mineworkers’ representatives are right now being held prisoner inside
the
administration building. Tuleyev is a member of the Communist Party of the
Russian Federation.
Several weeks ago we informed you about a similar situation which occurred
at
the Vyborg Paper and Pulp Mill, near the Finnish border. Armed police units
acting on behalf of a shadowy firm Alcem UK attempted to break up a workers’
occupation by force. Though they were unsuccessful , they shot two workers
in
the course of the attack.
Comrades from the UM in Moscow inform:
"Hundreds of armed riot policemen brought from Kemerovo tonight have
surrounded the administration building and are preparing a night assault
just now. The local time is 4 a.m. !!! Members of the union and workers'
committees are now locked by police in their rooms. They are not let out.
the night shift refuses to start the work. The miners are ready to go on
strike at any moment if they start the assault…."
At 05:30 Kusbass time ISWoR spoke directly to the local union chairman
Vladimir Belin who confirmed that the workers were still being held in the
office and were not even being allowed out to the toilet. Further, if there
is a strike, the authorities ensure there will be no heating (in the middle
of winter) to the whole town of Berezovsky, where nearly all of the miners
and their families live.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
The privatisation process in Russia has seen the concentration of enormous
wealth in the hands of a few big businessmen, while the majority of the
population now lives in deep poverty. It is commonplace for workers to have
received no wages for over a year. In a world where the market for many
manufactured goods is saturated and the west has long ago monopolised
existing demand, Russian owners of newly-privatised industrial enterprises
have found it more profitable to deliberately bankrupt their own plants,
shrugging off wage arrears and sacking thousands of workers, then buying up
any valuable machinery at rock-bottom prices at the auctions arranged by
their friends in local government. This has created a domino effect inside
the country, where the closure en masse of thousands of plants has
contracted
domestic demand even further, leading to more asset-stripping and deliberate
bankruptcies. Russia, once an industrial giant, has seen its manufacturing
output decline by more than 40% since 1992.
The Chernigovets miners are aware that Berezovsky’s firm intends to bankrupt
and then asset-strip the mine. Already the corrupt local government has
colluded in this process by stopping the accounts of the mine several times
and by freezing the assets of the worker-shareholders. On 31 August Tuleyev
sent in the police in an unsuccessful attempt to seize control. The miners
are determined to resist, knowing that if they surrender they will be left
without any livelihood at all.
ACTION! Our Russian comrades write further:
"Urgent action is needed right now!!!! Phone calls, telegramms, faxes of
protest. Articles in newspapers. If any progressive journalist could call
and say he will write an article it would be great, Tuleyev is very much
afraid of mass media those not controlled by him. He says a lot of lies
about workers of Chernigovets, but it's better to speak directly with the
workers' committee members.
Here are some phone numbers where you can find just right now union
committee members and some journalists working there. Please call them right
now. Hands off the workers of Chernigovets!!!
(7 - 38445) 96 530 or
(7 - 38445) 96 487 or
(7 - 38445) 96 354….
You may also send your protests to Governor Aman Tuleyev’s office:
(7 - 3842) 36 46 33 tel. Tuleyev's secretary
(7 - 3842) 23 30 49 fax Tuleyevs 'press-centre"
NEW INFORMATION from Steve Kerr (ISWoR Canada)
Just now at 7:20 Kusbass time (01:20 GMT), (December 21)
I spoke with a coal miner in Gernigovets, a man by the
name of Igor Usterzhanin. Igor is one of the leaders of the worker's council
governing the open pit coal mine which is currently under siege by the
forces described in the email below. He described a horrific situation under
way in his mine. Over 200 special forces troops are surrounding the mine as
I write these words. The workers are hold up in the office of the director
in a building surrounded by troops. Mr Usterzhanin told me that the workers
intend not to give up ever and pleaded with me to tell the world about the
horrible crime that is about to happen. The special forces troops are about
to launch an attack at any moment against the workers, and if this happens
people, perhaps Igor Usterzhanin will die.
It seems that after these disgusting stolen elections, bought with IMF cash,
the Kremlin feels confident to move in and crush the workers movement in
Russia. Chernigovets is the beating heart of that movement right now.
Please forward this email out to every press contact that you have, in
whichever city you live in.
***********************************************************
The RUSSIA INFO-LIST
We are a broad united front of individuals and organisations internationally
who support Russian workers struggles, who oppose the IMF-Yeltsinite
privatisation project, who oppose racism and fascism, and who want to
build international solidarity between workers of all cultures and lands.
If you have something you would like to distribute on Russia Info-List, or
want to help in our practical solidarity work, contact: >ISWoR@aol.com<
Box R, 46 Denmark Hill, London, SE5 8RZ, England
***********************************************************
ISWoR web-site - http://members.aol.com/ISWoR/english/index.html
.............................................
Bob Olsen, Toronto bobolsen@interlog.com
.............................................
----- End forwarded message -----
--
______ _________________________________________________
/ | |
| jon | jonivar skullerud |
\______ | |
\ | jonivar@bigfoot.com |
ivar | | http://www.bigfoot.com/~jonivar/ |
_______/ |_________________________________________________|
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Thu Jan 13 2000 - 15:17:48 MET