Translated material
Labor movement in Russia in May 2012. Part 1
May 1 – 15
The beginning of May is the time of holidays widely celebrated by the residents of Russia. The original meaning of the May holidays (which is May 1 - International Workers' Solidarity Day, and May 9 - Victory Day of the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War of 1941 - 1945) is increasingly lost every year, but the feeling of the holiday is maintained - supported, in particular, by that there are fewer working days in the first half of May than at the beginning of other months of the year (with the exception of January, of course). Accordingly, there usually comes a certain break in the labor movement; However, this year this break was more than made up for by turbulent political events, in which Russian proletarians also took an active part.
On May 1, on the day that in bourgeois Russia has been called since Yeltsin’s time “the day of spring and labor” (despite the fact that it is a day off, and the weather on May 1 is sometimes quite wintry, even with snow), people took to the streets of cities and villages a lot of people. The most crowded events were held by the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Russia, with the support of a number of political associations of the big bourgeoisie (including the United Russia party); According to the FNPR itself, it managed to bring about two and a half million people onto the streets ( http://fnpr.ru/n/241/6960.html ). The Moscow FNPR event, which turned out to be very crowded (whether there were 100 thousand people there or not, I can’t say), was attended by the then “President of Russia” Medvedev and the “Prime Minister” (aka “national leader”) Putin and a significant number of idlers supporting them, including those who belong to the youth gangs “Walking Together”, “Ours” and the like. The main slackers of Russia, celebrating “Labor Day”, went to drink beer in one of the Moscow eateries.
However, while in the hero city of Moscow the leaders of the labor aristocracy rejoiced in life and were moved by looking at the “national leaders” who were going to drink beer, in other places the May Day celebrations were not so fun. In the hero city of Leningrad (temporarily - “St. Petersburg”), the FNPR and its allies frankly failed, gathering, even according to their own estimates, no more than 25 thousand people (independent observers say that there were not that many); and far from the capitals, in the Sakhalin region, Putin’s officials simply wiped their feet about local FNPR figures and workers: “ The only Russian region where May Day celebrations did not take place was the Sakhalin region. The fact is that regional government officials decided to cancel the May Day demonstration on the very day it was held, citing rainy, cold weather. The initiators of the action - the regional association of trade union organizations - the officials did not bother to inform about the cancellation of the demonstration. The action was “curtailed”, despite the fact that by the time the events began, no rain was observed in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk ” ( http://www.solidarnost.org/thems/profsoyuznaya-zhizn/profsoyuznaya-zhizn_8870.html ).
On May Day, the Russian Confederation of Labor also brought its supporters to the streets ( http://www.unionstoday.ru//news/ktr/2012/05/02/16540/ ). Its rallies in Moscow, Leningrad, Kaluga and other cities attracted, of course, fewer people than the FNPR events, but the mood of the participants was much more militant. At the KTR rally in Moscow (in which not only trade unionists, but also political activists took part, and representing not only left-wing forces - from us, revolutionary social democrats, through social democrats simply (SDPR, A Just Russia) and anarchists to the “revolutionary communists” from the “RKRP-RPK” - but also liberal ones, such as the Yabloko party), Oleg Shein spoke, the event ended with the performance of “The Internationale”.
The National Socialists from the “Communist Party of the Russian Federation” could not help but celebrate the “day of spring and something else.” The procession of Russian Nazis (whom the bourgeois government, without any fears, allowed to march from Oktyabrskaya Square to Teatralnaya - this is not some kind of “Solidarity”) could have attracted very few people - but they rushed to the rescue of the distressed “Papa Zyu” representatives of Anpilov’s “Labor Russia”, “Left Front” and “Union of Orthodox Banner Bearers”. Actually, only the presence of the “Orthodox banner bearers” and the figures of the “Eurasian Youth Union” who joined them, bringing up the rear of the column of this strange “left-wing patriotic procession”, somewhat enlivened the meeting. However, even the battle cry: “Che Guevara was Russian!” could not give the event any revolutionary spirit.
Another May Day event that took place this year in Moscow was called “Left March”. Quite crowded for such meetings (probably up to 4 thousand people took part in it), it took place in the form of a procession from Trubnaya Square (where, before the start of the procession, several anarchists were detained) to Chistoprudny Boulevard and a rally at the monument to A.S. Griboyedov. At its inception, the “Left March” united representatives of almost all left-wing political associations in Moscow, except for the National Socialists from the “Communist Party of the Russian Federation” and the “revolutionary communists” from the “RKRP-RPK”, who on that day had their own separate event, which brought together, according to rumors, up to a hundred people - but united only in order... so that, having walked along the Boulevard Ring, they, forgetting about camaraderie and solidarity, fled from the scene of action.
This kind of “solidarity” later came back to haunt the “leftists” (and not only) during the “March of Millions”, which took place on May 6. However, there will be more talk about it. In the meantime, it should also be said that the speeches at the rally that concluded the “Left March” were habitually meaningless. The writer Limonov, who honored the meeting with his presence, however, tried to bring some of his own content, saying that now for the “leftists” there is no slogan more vital than “take away and divide.” Those gathered did not pay much attention to such “Sharikovism” - unless, of course, you count Limonov’s fans who left the event shortly after Eduard Veniaminovich completed his speech.
Meanwhile, May 1 has passed, and soon even the workers who are members of the FNPR were able to see from their own experience that nothing good awaits them in the Yeltsin-Putin bourgeois state, no matter how many Putin and Medvedev attend trade union marches. Already on May 3, alarming news came from Krasnoyarsk: the management of the local Biryusa plant, which produces fairly well-known refrigerators, intended to destroy the trade union cell at the enterprise ( http://www.solidarnost.org/thems/news/in-Russia/events_1831.html ). Communications were cut off in the premises of the local trade union committee, after which its members were asked to leave the enterprise. On May 4, the Biryusa trade union committee was cut off from postal services ( http://www.solidarnost.org/thems/news/in-Russia/events_1839.html ). Trade unionists, led by N. Burlachenko, did not comply with the illegal demands of the factory management. The FNPR leadership supported the Biryusa workers by declaring a solidarity campaign ( http://www.solidarnost.org/thems/profsoyuznaya-zhizn/profsoyuznaya-zhizn_8880.html ). On May 10, the chairman of the Federation of Trade Unions of the Krasnoyarsk Territory, O. Isyanov, addressed the bourgeois “prosecutor’s office” about what was happening at Biryusa ( http://www.solidarnost.org/thems/news/in-Russia/events_1858.html ). How the matter will end is still unknown.
On May 3 in Penza, workers of the city enterprise “Passenger Transportation of the City of Penza” held a picket near the building of the Penza bourgeois “city administration” ( http://www.solidarnost.org/thems/news/in-Russia/events_1834.html ). The indignation of the proletarians was caused by low wages and the inability of the bourgeois city authorities to effectively manage the development of urban transport. About fifty proletarians took part in the picket. The Penza city authorities at least pretended to hear and understand the demands of the workers ( http://www.solidarnost.org/thems/profsoyuznaya-zhizn/profsoyuznaya-zhizn_8879.html ).
On May 3, another small victory was won by the workers of the Polyanoye pig-breeding complex (Amur Region, village of Krestovozdvizhenka), about whose struggle we have already written more than once (the latest example: http://k0rsdrp.wordpress.com/2012/04/30/news46/ ). On the third day of May, they finally received their salaries from bourgeois managers... for the month of March ( http://www.solidarnost.org/thems/profsoyuznaya-zhizn/profsoyuznaya-zhizn_8877.html ). However, the misfortunes of the proletarians employed at Polyany are, apparently, far from over.
On May 4, near the Moscow “City Hall,” a tent camp was set up ( http://www.ria.ru/tv_society/20120504/641182334.html ) by workers of the famous “Trekhgornaya Manufactory” (mostly, today they are no longer working at the enterprise, which, “ thanks to the owners, including the well-known Deripaska, and bourgeois “managers”, it is going through hard times, to put it mildly), supported by leaders of several Trotskyist associations, including the Revolutionary Workers Party. This is not the first time that the capitalists, who own the housing of the proletarians, are trying to evict the workers from the Trekhgorki hostel (located in the center of Moscow, not far from the Ulitsa 1905 Goda metro station and the House of Soviets). This time, the servants of capital are extremely determined: real terror will be unleashed against the residents of the workers’ hostel, and the building itself has already begun to be demolished. The proletarians, accordingly, decided to “settle” at the “city hall” and remain there until the bourgeois officials made concessions to them.
At the beginning of May, the sailors of the ship “St. George” continued their fight, which began at the end of April ( http://k0rsdrp.wordpress.com/2012/04/30/news46/ ), against the “employers” who robbed them through non-payment of wages. (whose owners are located in Khabarovsk). On May 4, the sailors met in Vladivostok with the head of the bourgeois “Far Eastern Investigation Department for Transport of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation” Ustinov, and demanded that the shipowner-thief be brought to criminal responsibility ( http://www.unionstoday.ru/news/ktr/2012/05/04 /16552/ ). On May 11, it became known that the bourgeois court had decided to arrest “St. George” ( http://www.unionstoday.ru/news/ktr/2012/05/11/16574/ ).
On May 10, sailors working in China on the oil tanker Sovetskaya Gavan (assigned to the port of Nakhodka, Primorsky Territory) announced their intention to go on strike. What led the workers to this decision was that their “employer” became insolent and robbed them for more than six months by non-payment of wages ( http://www.ria.ru/society/20120510/645387664.html ). In this way, the shameless capitalists robbed the sailors of more than 6 million rubles. On May 12, the Russian Union of Seamen (part of the KTR) appealed to the official servants of Russian capital with a request to check the complaints of the sailors of Sovetskaya Gavan ( http://www.ria.ru/society/20120512/647183145.html ). On May 15, news came about the first victory of the proletarians from “Sovetskaya Gavan”: they were given wages for November 2011 ( http://www.ria.ru/society/20120515/649399956.html ).
On May 10, due to non-payment of wages for three months, about 120 workers of the Molot machine-building plant (Vyatskiye Polyany, Kirov region) refused to continue working. On May 11, another 84 proletarians joined them ( http://www.solidarnost.org/thems/news/in-Russia/events_1862.html ). Without paying wages, the factory management robbed the Molot workers of more than 50 million rubles. Already on May 12, the proletarians began to be paid something ( http://www.solidarnost.org/thems/news/in-Russia/events_1868.html ).
On May 11, Russian civil aviation pilots circulated an open letter online about working conditions in their industry. “Effective managers” who are in the service of the bourgeois state, in their desire to “save money” on everything possible, have crossed all boundaries, according to the testimony of workers: “ The Ministry of Transport thimblekeepers “managed to justify” that when flying in the evening to Tokyo, Hong Kong or You pierced Bangkok through the night and landed there the next morning, making a DAY flight. And the return flight to Moscow departing in an hour and a half will also be DAYtime. And since the flight is recognized as a day flight, then it is performed by TWO, and not THREE pilots ” ( http://aviacomment.livejournal.com/85515.html ).
On May 11, the public became aware that Russian and Ukrainian sailors working on the Leon tanker (flying the Liberian “flag of convenience” and owned by Greek capitalists) were robbed by their “employer.” Details of the crime were established in the British port of Hull by inspector of the International Transport Workers Federation T. Molloy ( http://www.unionstoday.ru/news/world/2012/05/11/16578/ ). It turned out that the capitalists, without paying the sailors wages, stole more than one and a half million rubles from them, in terms of Russian money. Soon after the intervention of the MFTR, the wages of the proletarians were returned.
On May 12, a warning strike was launched in Omsk by packers at an ice cream plant owned by the Inmarko company (part of the English-Dutch corporation Unilever). The dissatisfaction of the proletarians was caused by the fact that over the past three years their wages have not increased, although production has expanded noticeably during this time ( http://www.unionstoday.ru/news/russian/2012/05/12/16586/ ). By May 14, about two hundred proletarians took part in the strike, and inspectors from among the servants of Russian capital appeared at the plant ( http://www.ria.ru/society/20120514/648861534.html ). The owners of the enterprise, naturally, declared the actions of the workers “illegal” and threatened to fire the strikers ( http://www.unionstoday.ru/news/russian/2012/05/14/16593/ ). On May 15, the strike was interrupted ( http://www.ria.ru/society/20120515/649655131.html ), but the workers promise to resume it on May 21 if their demands for a reduction in the working day (now it is 11 hours) and an increase wages will not be met. On May 14, Inmarko workers created a trade union cell, which became part of the Interregional Trade Union Novoprof (part of KTR), strike participant L. Nasretdinova was elected chairman of the trade union committee ( http://www.unionstoday.ru/news/ktr/2012/05/15/ 16604/ ).
In the first half of May, truck drivers rose up to fight, outraged by the extremely unfair distribution of funds received for the delivery of goods: “ The organizer of the action was the mutual aid club of truckers “Brother.” According to representatives of the club, dispatchers take up to half of the delivery cost, forcing drivers to work at a loss ” ( http://www.regnum.ru/news/1529062.html ). Drivers decided to avoid loading stations in Kazan, Ufa and Perm for two months. On May 1, drivers began to act in a similar way in Kazan, and from May 21 they are going to start using the same weapons against loading stations in Ufa.
Let us now return to the events of political life, which at the beginning of May were closely intertwined with the events of cultural life (in the sense, very closely). The “inauguration” of Vladimir Putin, his ceremonial inauguration as “President of Russia,” was scheduled for May 7, 2012. The “inauguration” took place, but the celebrations were noticeably spoiled by events that occurred the day before.
Preparations for these events began back in March, after the Fourth Russian Revolution ( http://k0rsdrp.wordpress.com/2012/03/01/theory2/ ) suffered its first big defeat during the so-called “Russian Presidential elections” ( http://k0rsdrp.wordpress.com/2012/03/16/news25/ ). The preparations for the “March of Millions” were headed by the leader of the “Left Front” S. Udaltsov, who for some reason decided that if a million Putin’s opponents took to the streets and refused to disperse, Putin would get scared, cancel his “inauguration” and flee the country. It was decided to raise the “million” in all possible ways; this meant that Udaltsov and the leaders who joined him were ready to agree to any conditions that the bourgeois government and its Moscow servants would impose on them - if the government and its servants, in turn, allowed them to gather within the boundaries of the Garden Ring. The Moscow authorities broke down and broke down, and they allowed Udaltsov and others to hold the “March of Millions”... from Kaluzhskaya Square to Repin Square (temporarily - “Bolotnaya”), with up to five thousand participants (they themselves wanted to march from Mayakovsky Square [ “Triumfalnaya”] to Manezhnaya and hold a rally there with no less than a hundred thousand participants). Udaltsov agreed, which caused indignation not only among the most determined nationalists (led by A. Demushkin, who leads the “Russians” movement) and liberals (the “For Honest Power” movement - M. Vistitsky [the association of Airborne Forces and GRU veterans “Forgotten Regiment”] , M. Galperin [“Solidarity”] and others), but even within the “Left Front”. The movement “For Honest Power” decided to take people to Manezhnaya Square at 19-00 on May 6; at the same time, Demushkin and his comrades decided to bring their supporters to Manezhnaya Square. Also, at 19-00, many of those who decided to first go to the “Swamp March” were going to come to the vicinity of Manezhnaya Square. At the same time, Udaltsov said long before May 6 that if enough people gathered for the “March of Millions”, then it would be necessary not to disperse and put up tents - accordingly, it could be assumed that on May 6 he would urge his supporters not to leave from Repin Square. However, according to some reports, between the organizers of the procession and a rally on Repin Square, on the one hand, and the leadership of the movement “for honest power”, on the other hand,, in the end, was reached an agreement that after the “agreed” rally on the area was completed on the area Repin gathered there will be called to go to Manezhnaya Square. These were plans ...
Understanding that on May 6, most likely, the matter will not end peacefully, and experiencing an extreme lack of people, we, revolutionary social democrats, decided that it was “mass” to raise someone, substituting the entire organization, no meaning. has. It was decided that our representatives would go to Manezhnaya Square and will act according to circumstances; The rest of the councils of the Council for the reconstruction of the RSDLP was to sit at home and protect themselves - since the possibility of not only the “cleaning” of Repin and/or Manezhnaya on May 6, but also the combat, bloody continuation of events the next day ... and on all other days, up to the next day until the end of May; For battles on the following days, the days after May 6, living fighters should have also been to be found - therefore it was decided to act described above. Fortunately, our worst fears did not materialize - however, our other fears were justified.
Personally, I can say for myself that the events of May 6 are perhaps the first “big events” in a few years, for which I am completely not ashamed of participation. I think there is no reason to be ashamed of the entire advice on the reconstruction of the RSDLP. Having extremely few forces and means at our disposal, we seem to have done everything in our power so that on May 6 the people would not win, then at least to suffer a fruitful defeat, one that can cost other light victory . We warned that on May 6, any hostile actions can be taken against the people - and even called on the people to stock up on weapons ( http://revsocdem.livejournal.com/31681.html ). We warned that to coordinate the “Million March” (then - in the singular) at any cost - it does not follow that the decisive mood of those who go outside, let them be a little more ( http://www.facebook.com /Permalink.php?story_fbid=354465081258198&ID=35108658262714 ). What is there ... So I quite loudly promised to go out on May 6 to the Manezhnaya; He did not come out, - “lingered” a little on Repin Square. But I’m not even ashamed for this, because, except for individuals, only Demushkin came with his associates - but before them my conscience was almost pure: I warned them through Vladimir Basmanov that it was dangerous to gather in the subway ( / http:/ /www.facebook.com/events/30183271653632/Permalink/324950787575158/#!/Events/301832716553632/PERMALINK/324950787575158/?comment_ID=325004130900 3157 & Offset = 0 & Total_comments = 45), as well as to install a gathering point near Manezhnaya Square in general.
It turned out - how it happened ... The details are described here: http://k0rsdrp.wordpress.com/2012/05/19/news48/ , - briefly, I must say the following. The organizers of the “Million Millions” wanted a “mass action” - they received it. True, one hundred thousand people did not gather on it (it was sixty thousand - which, however, was a lot), and the reckoning for its mass was that a significant part of its participants were completely peaceful citizens who were no confrontation with the Putin “law enforcement” wished; Five hundred people fought with “law enforcement officers” (frankly, frankly), fifty thousand people either stood aside, or found themselves in the thick of events and did not know where to put themselves, and the rest simply did not understand that there was a battle, or could not in a timely manner Get to the battlefield. As a result, the punishers first beat in parts of the “violent” - and then they were beaten and everyone else. The result of clashes on Repin Square on May 6, 2012: the fourth Russian revolution suffered the second, after the “elections”, its defeat; This time, however, the defeat turned out to be bloody - but also more meaningful. Though ineptly, albeit disordered, but on May 6, the people finally began to fight with punishers. From this first fight to meaningful revolutionary battles, it may not be as far as it seems.
Another result is public consciousness, it seems that it is slowly seeing about the revolution. Even the dense “observer” of “Soviet Russia” Alexander Frolov, “analytically” in March and peremptorously declared: “ So in our times all the events, including the hypothetical“ Orange Revolution ”, are withdrawn from the behavior of the capital. "Guard! "Orange Revolution" is coming! " - shouts Kurginyan. “Kaput! The proletarian revolution is receding! " -shouts Limonov, focusing on the same Moscow events, but interpreting them differently. And the ordinary layman thinks: it doesn’t matter that - all the same, the capital is to blame for everything. I would transfer it to some modern Nizhny Tagil or Chechnya-there would be no trouble. In fact, both the layman and both petty -bourgeois politicians are mistaken - neither for the “guard” nor for “Kaput” there are no special reasons yet. Only some mass unrest occurred, from which to the revolution - as to the star of heaven (...) no revolution , - now he saw not only the "revolution", but even "Termidor": " May 6" Orange "(liberal) The revolution in Russia has ended, as it might seem at first glance, but a victory with a symbol of the victory was the strict acceleration of the Million Million and the subsequent stripping of Moscow streets from the Protestants, through Omon's batons, was clearly given that their march is no longer needed. Excessive and dangerous for those classes that have already been “cream” from the revolution. (the beneficiary) does not want and cannot go further - the collapse for him personally. “Thinkers” are no more than the same “thoughtful” March reasoning).
The revolution lost, lost for the second time in a row-but its defeat is not just not final ... Her defeat on May 6 to victory is much closer than the defeat of March 4-5. The “stripping” of Moscow streets on the eve of “Inauguration”, Putin’s passage in an empty city, the atrocities of punishers who managed to detain even completely harmless Ksenia Sobchak ... The exchange falling for more than a week (of course, its fall was completely in no way connected with “riots” - this is a pure accident, it just happened: http://www.vestifinance.ru/articles/11620 ) ... People who do not want to leave Moscow and Leningrad streets (including even liberal and very moderate intelligentsia in former days; Among the “walking” there are workers, including the figures of the trade union-migrant workers) ... more clearly loosening signs of the “plan of suppression of the riots” ( http://k0rsdrp.wordpress.com/2012/05/19/news48/ ), at the sight of the sight which the long -standing words of the former head of the Ministry of Emergencies and the current “governor” of the Moscow Region Shoigu: “ The situation now resembles the situation of the fall of 1993, when there was a rally activity and exacerbation ,” they no longer look stupidity, but rather an ineffective issuance of secrets ... and anger, an inexorably saving. Human anger. The revolution is not somewhere in the future, it is not “approaching”, it is happening here and now.
Alas, we cannot say anything good about today's environment. It is necessary to look the truth in the eye: on the side of the bourgeois government of Russia, on the side of Putin, - complete superiority in the strength and means, supplemented, apparently, with a decisive mood. The people are weak, unarmed, disadvantaged and somewhat afraid of decisive actions. About theoretical training - and it is not worth talking about once again.
And there is less and less time. According to the latest data, already on May 21, it is outlined, no more, nor less, “ Presentation of a large-scale state-management study“ National Idea of Russia ”, which gives an answer to one of the most pressing questions for a modern society:“ How Russia should be arranged to be arranged to be arranged to be arranged so that be successful? " And offers a project of the new Constitution of the Russian Federation ”( http://www.rg.ru/2012/05/15/proekt.html ). How “new constitutions” are adopted in bourgeois Russia - this is shown in the fall of 1993 ...
In conclusion, as usual, we remind each of our readers: the review presented to your attention is based on data published in Russian bourgeois media and representing, in any case, the view of the capitalists or, in the best case, small bourgeois on the labor movement; Some of these media, moreover, are state (“Vesti”, RIA Novosti, “Mayak”, etc.) or are controlled by people close to state power (“REGNUM”), since the Russian state today is the state of bourgeois , means that if they recognize the wrong capitalists in confrontation with the workers, then they will never be recognized as the depravity of the entire system of capitalist production relations. The authors of the review, without at present, have a strong connection with the Russian working movement, forced to look at him through the eyes of bourgeois journalists, that is, in fact, the eyes of the capitalists - the consequences of this, unfortunately, are not always able to overcome, therefore we call our readers To a critical understanding of the proposed materials, especially if any of our readers is a direct participant or an eyewitness to the events described.