Coronavirus, Russia
The Virus Trade Union
Socialist Alternative members explain how they have set up a new trade union during the Coronavirus crisis
Russia in the conditions of crisis
In response to the COVID-19 crisis, Putin has declared a national “Month off”. In effect, this is a quarantine. People have to stay at home and are only allowed out to a shop, walk the dog or do essential work. But he is afraid of using the word ‘quarantine’, because it implies the need to declare a National emergency. According to Russia’s constitution, under a National emergency the government has to support the population. For example, citizens have the right to receive compensation for any losses, and companies and small businesses would also be compensated. He would also have to mobilise the army and National guard to control movement in the cities.
Initially he declared that the time off was for everyone, before changing it to announce that those organisations producing essential products should continue working. They should however be provided with PPE, a mask to be changed every two hours, gloves and disinfectant. He also stressed that even at home, those who could should continue working.
In his order he promised that those who lost their jobs as a result of the quarantine would be paid the minimum wage — about 150 euros a month — provided that they were officially working and had the right to live in the city — in other words migrants, including internal migrant workers would not get help. He promised that companies and small businesses would get interest free loans to pay their staff. But these promises are mainly empty words, and in many places are simply ignored by employers. It is estimated that two-thirds of organisations remained working.
Reaction of employers
Many employers did not stand on ceremony, as would be expected, many firing part of their workforce, such as couriers and sales staff.
Others refused to release their workers to work from home during the quarantine. Or, more often they forced them to sign an agreement to take unpaid leave. But some employers, for example the fashion shops ‘Lamoda’ and ‘Wildberries’ have started to sell masks and antiseptics. Although these items are only a small fraction of their sales, this gives them the right to stay working during the quarantine.
Some employers, for example the fashion shops ‘Lamoda’ and ‘Wildberries’ have started to sell masks and antiseptics. Although these items are only a small fraction of their sales, this gives them the right to stay working during the quarantine.
And those workers who are expected to work ‘legally’ during the crisis are expected to do so without PPE. Not only do the employers not provide it, it is impossible to buy it in the chemists, except at extortionate prices.
Many families with children are left in an unenviable position — schools and kindergartens are shut, rather than leave their children at home, they often take them to work with them.
How did the idea of the Virus Trade Union arise?
Even before the introduction of the “Month-off”, two of our comrades had been trying to persuade their employer to allow them to work from home. Their boss refused, coming up with all sorts of excuses. He claimed there was no virus, that it was all an American trick, an information attack on Russia. Talking to other works at their company and elsewhere, it became clear this was a common problem.
When Putin declared his half-hearted quarantine however, it became clear that employers all over the city were acting in the same way.
The official trade unions that do exist are highly bureaucratic and are not prepared to oppose the actions of management, with whom they work hand in glove. So we decided to set up the Virus Trade Union so that ordinary people could defend themselves in this difficult time.
What we do
Distributing our announcement in the social networks with an attached google form, when someone contacts us, we reply to investigate what their problems are. We have produced guidelines for how to do this.
We first check whether the company is in the list of those producing essential goods. If it is not, then we help the individuals to draw up a complaint to go to the Consumer protection body, as well as the Labour Inspectorate.
If it is on the list, then we draft a complaint to the Consumer protection body about the lack of protective equipment, without which their staff should not be working, subjecting themselves and their closest to the risk of catching the virus.
If people are being illegally fired, or forced to take unpaid leave, we help them write to the Labour Inspectorate, to the Ministry of Labour.
In any case we distribute information on the social networks, send the news to the major media outlets to encourage the company not to continue their illegal activities, which leave their workforce without the means for existence.
What has so far been achieved?
So far after just ten days of work, we have had over 280 requests for help. Each day more arrive.
So far after just ten days of work, we have had over 280 requests for help. Each day more arrive.
In the first few days, we had no access to the wider media, we relied just on our own social public and channels. But now our audience has grown significantly, in large part thanks to the people who have contacted us, who have themselves spread information amongst their colleagues and friends.
We have had a large number of claims from merchandisers, people who put products onto shop shelves who work for companies such as Danone, Ferrero, Nestlé, Pepsico, Philip Morris, «Лина». So we decided to establish a WhatsApp group for merchandisers, so that they can keep in touch with each other, distribute information about the situation at their workplace, and to discuss how they can act together in such a situation. We actively participate in these discussions, trying to convince them of the need to unite in a trade union. One of the first results of this work has been the drafting of an “Appeal to merchandisers”, in which we list all the main demands of the merchandisers. This has been met with enthusiasm, it has been read so far by over 1500 people.
Our main demands
The government should publish a complete list of food products which are essential. Organisations can only demand that their staff work if they are part of the supply chain — and only then.
All merchandisers in Russia should stop work in line with the declaration of 25th March announcing time off and on full pay. There should be no firings.
The Ministry of labour and government inspectorates should deal with all requests promptly — in the current situation we demand that the usual time of 30 days should be reduced dramatically.
Those merchandisers who have come to us have already started work to prepare for the creation of a fighting independent trade union. They have already won their first modest victory, after contacting us, some companies have begun to distribute the necessary PPE.
We have also had many requests from large clothing distributors such as Wildberries and Lamoda. Both companies have purchased toilet paper, disinfectant and buckwheat (a Russian staple food that was the subject of panic buying) so that they can re-qualify their work as essential.
The management of Wildberries are changing the job descriptions of their staff, warehouse staff are now expected to phone customers, those who have their own cars are expected to deliver goods to homes and those without, have to carry packages, sometimes large on public transport.
We put the staff from Wildberries who contacted us in touch with each other so they could organize and mobilise. We have also won a small victory here. Within 40 minutes of contacting us, we publicized information about Wildberries and the management quickly announced that all changes in job descriptions would be reversed until the end of the quarantine period. Wildberries is, incidentally, owned by Tatyana Bakalchuk, Russia’s richest woman, who according to Forbes was worth $1,4 billion in February.
We have also been approached by doctors from several medical centres. Although it seems, all energy should now be directed to healthcare, the situation is very bad. In some places there is no PPE, in other places non-specialist doctors have been told to take unpaid leave. In one hospital doctors have written a public statement after they were threatened by the Head Doctor. If, he said, dentists, porters and cleaners did not agree to go on unpaid leave they would all be transferred into the Coronavirus ward.
Another notable situation is on the metro in St Petersburg. One of the workers contacted us to say that the management have resorted to open lies. At first they told all the workers that the original ‘week-off’ would be a working week, but tried to persuade many to take unpaid leave or to use their annual holiday allowance. Doing this they claimed to be looking after the workforce, saying: “Better to stay at home than be infected, we are worried about your health”. They did this knowing that officially the week was going to be declared as officially a week-off, thus saving money. There are 1700 working on the Moscow metro, so this would leave many families in a difficult situation.
Further plans
Our main aim is to politicize workers, to help organize trade union cells so that they can act not just during the time of quarantine, but after it finishes.
Our main aim is to politicize workers, to help organize trade union cells so that they can act not just during the time of quarantine, but after it finishes.
We obviously plan to maintain contact with those in the trade union, assist them, give legal and organizational support and set up trade union cells in other organisations and sectors.
We obviously understand that appealing to the labour inspectorate and other state structures is to a large degree pointless, as at best they deal with the situation after 30 days, when people need action now.
It has proved much more effective to publicise information about any breaches by management, to expose their hypocrisy. This brings results quickly as happened with Wildberries. Information about our success spread very quickly, and staff in other organizations who saw this victory understood that they are not alone with these problems, and that there are other people who are prepared to speak out and take action. This is a real help in politicizing people and in building solidarity.
And as has already been said, our main aim is the setting up trade union cells in these organisations and sectors. Trade unions that consist of people who are prepared to struggle and fight further for the rights of the working class.