Ukraine's coal miners stage strike to demand payment of back wages (02/04/96)

Ukraine's coal miners stage strike to demand payment of back wages

by Marta Kolomayets
Kyiv Press Bureau

KYIV - Despite warnings of mass strikes involving coal mines throughout Ukraine, Interfax-Ukraine reported that as of late Thursday evening, February 1, workers from only 86 mines out of 227 had decided to walk out. They are demanding that they be paid three months of back wages.

According to workers' strike committees, the government owes miners more than 700 trillion karbovantsi (about $40 million) as wages have not been paid since October.

Interfax-Ukraine reported that 34 mines out of 78 are on strike in the Luhanske region, 46 mines out of 115 are on strike in the Donetske region and three mines out of 14 are on strike in the Lviv and Volyn regions, in solidarity with their eastern Ukrainian brothers. Two mines are striking in the Kirovohrad region.

Mykhailo Chechetov, a deputy from the Unity faction in Parliament, described the planned strike as a "catastrophe." Addressing the Supreme Council on the morning of February 1, he called on both sides - the trade unions and the government - to engage in constructive dialogue.

Mr. Chechetov warned that the coal industry should he Ukraine's top priority during this harsh winter - amidst conditions of gas and oil shortages - and should be funded immediately from the state budget.

As The Weekly was going to press, Coal Industry Minister Serhiy Polyakov had been dispatched to discuss an agreement with strike leaders. According to Interfax-Ukraine, the Cabinet of Ministers has earmarked 20 trillion karbovantsi to be channeled into the coal sector. (Further emissions from the budget would cause the inflation rate to soar, and government officials are holding back on such an optiom)

However, the miners are having a tough time believing the government's promises, said Viktor Tumanov, one of the leaders of the Coal Mining Workers' Union.

The strike committee announced that the protest action would continue until miners receive back pay.

Coal miners in Russia also went on strike on February 1 to demand payment of back wages. Reuters reported that up to 500,000 miners were participating in the nationwide work stoppage.

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But, the miners are not the only ones dissatisfied with the state of affairs in Ukraine. Teachers also have not been paid for months, and more than 2,000 teachers from all of Ukraine's regions picketed the Parliament on January 31.

"We have no political demands, but we are raising questions vital for all of Ukraine's residents," said Leonid Sachkov, chairman of the Educational Workers' Trade Union.

He said the teachers are demanding that their overdue salaries be paid, that the law on "Remuneration for Labor" be put into effect and that the Cabinet of Ministers resolution raising the price of utilities be overturned.

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