Court rules to reinstate ITUA union leader

RUSSIA: Evgeny Ivanov, leader of the IMF-affiliated Interregional Trade Union of Autoworkers (ITUA) union at a GM Auto plant in Saint-Petersburg, was reinstated in his job. On March 15 the district court ruled illegal management's decision to fire him for his alleged no-show. The court also ordered the company to pay Ivanov three and a half months' wages in arrears and compensate moral harm.

Ivanov was fired after the union began an "Italian" strike at the plant on November 11, 2009, demanding, among other things, a wage rise, introduction of clear annual vacation rules and a normal 40-hour week instead of summarized annual payroll.

In a few days of the work-to-rule strike workers managed to slash the production rate, however the administration broke down solidarity among the workers and took action against the «troublemakers». On November 20, 2009 Evgeny Ivanov was fired and forcefully deported from the plant. At the same time the management created a yellow union to downplay the role of ITUA.

However, ITUA union at the plant continued to fight despite the interference. The reinstatement of its leader which wouldn't be possible without help and support of various NGOs and human rights groups will give new momentum to the struggle of GM Auto workers.

This violation of Ivanov's rights is one of the examples included in a complaint recently submitted to the Committee on Freedom of Association of the International Labour Organization. The complaint, lodged on Januray 20, 2010 by the All-Russia Confederation of Labor (VKT) and the Russian Confederation of Labor (KTR) and supported by the International Metalworkers' Federation, among others, documents a series of systematic violations against fundamental trade union rights and the failure on the part of the government to investigate and rectify these violations. The violations include:

physical attacks on trade union leaders,

the right to organize without prior authorization,

discrimination again trade union membership,

employer refusal to recognize newly formed trade unions

denying trade union leaders access to members' workplaces

denying the right to bargain collectively

government interference in trade union matters

state law enforcement bodies failure to investigate and secure trade union rights.