[Marxism] Automotive Workers Unions in Russia (Solidarity Campaign for ITUA-TagAZ)

["Thomas Campbell" <avvakum@xxxxxxxxx>]

In light of our recent discussions of the Big Three bailout and the
Chicago factory occupation, I thought some of you might be interested
in learning what's going on with union activism in Russia.

Our blog, Chtodelat News, just published a translation of long
interview with two union activists at the Taganrog Automobile Plant
(TagAZ), in southern Russia. In the interview, they describe in great
detail their struggle to form a local of the Interregional Trade Union
of Auto Workers (ITUA) at the plant. The interview was originally
published on the website of the Workers Action Marxist Group (MGRD).

chtodelat.wordpress.com/2008/12/13/tagaz-itua-solidarity-campaign/

Since the struggle of the ITUA-TagAZ activists has been so rough (as
you'll see in the interview), the ITUA, the All-Russia Labor
Conferederation (VKT), and the Saint Petersburg Committee for
Solidarity Actions (KSD) have just launched a solidarity campaign in
support of the Taganrog activists. We have also included their appeal
in the posting above. The text of the appeal includes lots of
information about how you can support them.

It is also worth noting that the past month has seen a wave of
attacks, some quite brutal, against social and labor activists in
Russia. Among those attacked was Alexei Etmanov, chair of the workers
union at the Ford plant in Vsevolozhsk, near Saint Petersburg. A year
ago, his union carried out a semi-successful month-long strike at the
plant.

If you look at the November entries in our blog, you'll find accounts
of some of these incidents. Here in Russia many activists and
commentators have connected them not only with the world financial
crisis, but also with President Medvedev's appeal to the security
forces (siloviki) to carry out preventive strikes against potential
sources of unrest. As luck would have it, the wave of assaults was
launched almost immediately after he made these comments in early
November.

Thomas Campbell
Editor, Chtodelat News (chtodelat.wordpress.com)
Chto Delat Platform
Saint Petersburg, Russia

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