STEEL INDUSTRY IN RUSSIA

 Our union “Worker” made several strikes with steel workers together. In 1992 in Byeloretsk (near Magnitogorsk) several workers from metallurgical plant, members of “Worker”, made a strike with unigue demand: to give workers the unformation about finance activity of the plant. They had got this information, calculated profit and other parts of the plant budget and made the conclusion, that administration migft to do better their wages. Then they forced the administration to raise workers wages in three times.

In1988 we created workers independent trade union in Magnitogorsk with the base on “Metiz” – metallurgical plant.

In 1990 Perm section of “Worker” made a strike in large military plant named Lenin with demand to tie up the salary of plant administration, including director and shop superintendents. Collectives of more than 10 shops took part in that strike, assemly and casting shops (200 – 1000 workers in every shop).

Now we work at four metallurgical plant (or casting shops in plants): Perm, Beloretsk, Samara (“SAMECO”, metallurgical plant) and with former strike committee of a casting shop in “KAMAZ”, lorry production plant in Naberegniye Chelni city. In Perm and Samara we created workers trade unions, not large, but real (in comparison with so called official thrade unions). Samara section of “Worker” together with antistalinist Marxist Workers Party made several meetings and strikes recently. On the 19-th of March we are going to make a meeting of our Perm thrade union “Defence and imployment” (recently we force our law structures to restore one of the leaders of our trade union, Alexandr Sidorov, at his place of work in his plant.

It is well known there are mass dismission in steel production industry as well as in every branch of undustry in Russia. Wages are very low (in Perm - about 500 rubles in a month while one need 700 rubles). Workers of one Perm plant with metallurgic prodiction have recently got money for one half of November of 1997.

The production af iron and steel decreased from 63,7 mil.tonn in 1990 to 37,8 in 1997 and 90,2% of 1997 in 1998 (and.89,5% in the whole year) As for delivering it takes the socond place after oil with gas and coal (17% of the whole export with aluminium and zink). We had 91,7% of delivering in January-May in 1996 in January-May in 1997, and 86,6% (576,5 mill. Doll.) of delivering in the same period in 1998 in comparisen with 1997. The internal market is tighted to absolute limits too. And in this condition our high skilled goverment buys black metals (2,3 bil.doll. in 1997). The other situation is in USA: the value of export of iron and steel-mill products was in 1988, for example, 2 mill. Doll., and import – 10,3 mill. Doll.

In spite of very sharp situation one may scaresly say Russian steel workers are active in the sence of strikes and so on. There was only one protest of steel workers in Russia from November in 1998 to February 1999 (in four months). On the 22nd-24th of December part of workers collective - 2500 workers - of metallurgical plant “Severstal” (“Northsteel”) in Cherepovets organised a strike to get 3 month wages debt. Only one strike!

On the 16^th of February last year 300 workers of metallurgic plant in Zlatoust in Chelyabinsk region made a meeting near region administration in frames of usual official trade unions actions. Unique demand was to give wages debt. But as official action was witout any result, on the 19^th of Fabruary workers began a strike without any “aid” of so called “communist” parties and official trade unions.

On the 2^nd of March 14 workers of gas savig service of metallurgical plant in Nignii Tagil began a hunger-strike. On the 18^th of March the meeting of steel workers of the “Leningrad metallurgic plant” took place, on the territoty of the plant with the demand to stop mass dismissions (administration was planning the dismission of 2500 workers).

On the 7^th of April 160 workers of metallurgic plant “Red October” in Shenkursk-city took part in official trade unions action (meeting).

On the 7^th of July 900 workers of one shop of metallurgical plant in Nignii Tagil (near Sverdlovsk) with the help of domestic section of our union “Worker” made a strike with usual demand – to return wages debts. On the 12th of July there was a strike of metallurgical plant in Chelyabinsk (the centre of the region where Magnitogorsk and Byeloretsk are situated) because workers didn’t see wages during 3 months.

So only six actions in six months. While there is the same number of much more socially active miners in Rissia as steel workers (about 1 million workers, about 6% of economically active population). Of course, the first place in strikes belongs to theachers, the second (much less) - to physiceans and the third (much less) – to miners. One may understand it is difficult to strike because of specific technology. But steel production industry strongly depends on coal output. It is very strange Russian steel workers can’t go with miners side by side in spite of many efforts of our and other similar organisations (may be because of small number of memebers of our organisations).

We are faced with the same problem as in USA: for example, from the very beginnig of 80 years 15% of steel powers in USA were related with very expansive Martin open-hearth furnances. So the problem is to change technologies without dismissions.

The other problem is corruption of plant, regional and Moscow administrations. So we need to say about workers control in the situation that is far from socialist revolution.

The third moment – our employers don’t want to develop domestic industry. The want to steal steel, zink, military objects, to sell it, to get dollars and to send them to foreign banks. So all economy structures from a plant to goverment are criminal. They don’t want to organise national economy, so to organise state. So we have no the united class of bourgeousy. So we haven’t united working class. The base of workers unity – industry – is destroyed. So working class haven’t forces to fight for his own interests, it may only choose between different (progressive or conservative) and support progressive. But progressive employers are absent in Russia, as I wrote. Have you caught the compleetness of the situation in Russia?

On the 20^th of October about 1000 workers of SAMECO in Samara were pushed in holidays with 2/3 of pay. So independent trade union with our union “Worker” and MWP began regular meeting near region administration from 8^th of December. As for Perm we spread our trade union in Lenin’ plant in casting shops (where our members work) This year (in June-July) we need to organise the common conference of miners and steel workers. On the other hand we hope to make common Conference with our foreign friends from England, Bosnia, etc. Because it is impossible to deside particular problems, we saw it in practice.

Boris Ikhlov, secretary of executive committee of Russia political union “Worker”, member of Committee of trade union “Defence and employment”

22.2.1999.