State pollster asks Russians about new opposition labor union, but keeps the results a secret

Last month, government pollsters surveyed Russians about a labor union project recently announced by opposition politician Alexey Navalny, but the data was never published, two sources told Vedomosti. According to the newspaper, the state-owned Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VTsIOM) conducted a poll based on three question groups: public sector wages and President Putin’s promises to raise them, labor unions generally, and Navalny’s activism and new labor union project. VTsIOM published its results on March 1, withholding all data about Navalny.

Vedomosti’s sources say survey respondents were asked if they’d heard of Navalny’s project, what they think of it, if they consider such a labor union to be necessary, if they believe the union can achieve its goals, if they’d consider joining, and whether they think Navalny is trying to raise salaries or his own popularity rating.

VTsIOM director Valery Federov refused to comment on Vedomosti’s report.

• On January 24, Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation announced plans to launch the “Navalny Labor Union,” which will advocate for public sector wage increases promised by Vladimir Putin’s “May Orders.”