New Russian autoworker union leaders target of violent assailants
20 November 2008
The leader of an independent democratic Russian autoworkers' union has had two lucky escapes recently after being targeted by violent assailants who don't like his union's success in standing up for workers.
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Alexei Etmanov |
" Hired thugs are targeting successful democratic union leaders, who have thrown off the shackles of Stalinist-era communism with their so-called unions.
" They don't seem to like the fact that they're demanding the real voice of working people be heard in their workplaces," Paul Howes, AWU National Secretary, said.
Union leaders assaulted with guns, knuckledusters
The Australian Workers Union has joined a global campaign to defend Alexei Etmanov, the leader of the Ford autoworkers union outside St Petersburg by sending off protest letters to key Russian officials.
Earlier this year other leaders of the same independent autoworkers union were assaulted after their participation in a picket at the entrance of their enterprise.
" These union leaders are bringing a new independent voice into Russian workplaces after years of repressive state-controlled anti-democratic Soviet unions .
Iconic figure in a reborn labour movement leads talks for new Ford agreement
" Alexei Etmanov is an iconic figure for the reborn labour movement and independent trade unions.
" He has successfully improved the working conditions of Ford workers in Russia, and it is probably no co-incidence that his union is presently holding talks with management about a new collective agreement," Paul Howes said.
" After the first attack on the union leader, one of his Ford union colleagues received a threatening call saying there would be " more reprisals if Etmanov didn't stop getting in our way."
Global demand for transparent investigation
The AWU, along with other unions across the globe, as well as human rights groups, has demanded an immediate and transparent investigation into the attacks and death threats made against:
- Alexei Etmanov and, Vladmir Lesik of the Ford plant;
- Alexei Gramm and Sergei Byzgalov at the Hyundai plant and
- other leaders of the Interregional Trade Union of Autoworkers.
" The information we have received suggests the increase in assaults of union leaders and activists is in response to their demands for respect for the fundamental right of workers to organise and form unions," Paul Howes said.
The AWU protests were sent off in response to a request from the International Metalworkers Federation. Our union is a member of this global union federation.
Send your own messages of support for free democratic unionism in Russia
You can send off email's supporting Alexei Etmanov and his union colleagues by clicking on the following two email addresses:
Direct to the Russian union: profkom@ford-profsoyuz.ru
Direct to the global union federation, the International Metalworkers Federation, organising solidarity activity for the Russian unionists: info@imfmetal.org
National Secretary: Paul Howes