Road Hog TV
Strike and Self-Organisation of Truck Drivers in Russia
In November 2015 a toll system was introduced for federal road users in Russia
and that means for every kilometre, each truck with a capacity of 12 tons
must pay for every kilometre driven.
This money, it involves billions here, goes to a private company
and what bothers people, and the reason for their fight against this
is that if they pay this money,
no money would remain from the tariffs that they would otherwise receive!
de facto, it simply isn't worth their while to drive,
that is the first problem
the second problem is that the large companies which currently
get just 20 per cent from the truck drivers, are becoming more powerful
and the small operators, the workers,
those who own just one truck that they drive themselves,
are unable to survive in the market
the second and third problem is: where does all the money go?
it isn't clear, probably deliberately,
and these are the big issues.
over the past three years, many antisocial "reforms" have been introduced
neoliberalisation, Russian style,
and this is quite closely related to corruption
and that is what truck drivers in Russia criticise
but this doesn't just affect truck drivers.
It affects the healthcare system, the schools,
which must now operate according to new economic criteria.
it affects hospitals, - doctors are now trying
to form a "wild" union,
which is fraught by many problems -
the teachers as well...
it's in many different areas.
Some people who are a little older
such as those who worked in factories as workers
- I know of four -
In the 1990s they resisted
the privatisation of factories.
They were however dismissed.
They talk about their experiences of labour struggle.
It is fair to say that there is no tradition of this.
People are learning everything as the need arises
First of all people get angry, they go on strike,
making a strike camp,
they notice, okay, strangely enough not all of the two million drivers are joining in,
so people are surprised and look:
"okay, how do we want to mobilise the people".
Then comes the question: "how do we want to organise ourselves?"
Are we a group? Are we an organisation?
that's why it is "learning by doing"
they are frustrated, because they had hoped
that a mass movement would come about very quickly,
that objectives would be reached fast.
That didn't happen, the Platon system has not been abolished.
They were confronted with a powerful information blockade and with repression.
They weren't expecting that.
Because of this they were sometimes completely frustrated
Now they have decided to form an organisation,
similar to a trade union.
As we speak they are once again in Novograd, they are touring Russia,
they are trying to mobilise and organise people
into a self-organised trade union
It is not certain that it will work
but the benefit that these people have having not previously been organised,
is this anger and this feeling:
"okay, this is an injustice, we must organise ourselves!"
Now, in the whole of Russia, several thousand people are involved together
However the active people are few
they number probably about 50 people.
But they are full of anger, courage and hope that they will succeed
because otherwise, there no longer is a reason to work.
I believe that this anger and hope that it will work out is empowering.
It was a really great experience when people from all over Russia
came to a meeting.
That was on 30 April.
This experience, simply sitting together in a huge room,
and realising that alot of people are there after all,
was very inspiring.
People told me after: "this is the happiest day of my life!"
And the day after, when the strike had ended,
was abandoned,
on May 1st, everyone was very proud.
With the the feeling: "we have formed an organisation!
We will continue to struggle, but not only in this camp but throughout Russia."
That too was a very strong, hopeful moment.
They drove off with their new flags, of the OPR, that is the new organisation,
on their trucks.
It was a touching moment.
On the negative side, I can report of today's situation:
Today the first people were stopped and arrested
for not observing the Platon system.
The vehicles were bound together by chains,
which of course goes against all Russian laws.
At the start of the strike, Andrej Baschutin, the organisation's speaker,
- he was also arrested several times
and questioned, and he was accused of terrorism,
against the government, against the state -
and that is of course for people with no experience -
a very new experience!
At first you are surprised, because you feel:
"I am not actually against this state!
I am against the people who are stealing money from me."
Then, at the beginning of the strike there were situations,
where in the regions, particularly in small towns,
that had shown solidarity and had organised new camps,
- there police violence was "cheekier".
In Dagestan, for example, the people were repeatedly arrested
and homes were searched.
When the camp in Rjasan was being set up,
people were physically attacked and arrested,
and the vehicles were blocked.
For people who have no experience of police violence,
who have never before questioned state systems of policing etc.,
that is a very painful experience,
that they had to make.
For me personally, it has been a really beautiful experience.
A really wonderful experience of building up solidarity.
The people started to ask the question:
"how can we act in solidarity with each other?"
and what it means, to work in solidarity in this sector.
Because there is this great ethos among truck drivers,
of helping each other out on the road.
And now they say that this has been revived as a result of the strike.
Because the kind of solidarity which one had as a professional truck driver,
has been lost, now they are trying to establish this,
by means of labour struggle.
That is really wonderful.
It is simply wonderful to witness how people practise solidarity.
If you are asking concerning Germany:
then my objectives are naturally self-indulgent because I really like the people,
and I know that they would be very happy about any statement of solidarity,
or any supportive action.
It is great to keep up this kind of contact.
They have received many declarations of solidarity.
Altogether ten international expressions of solidarity.
Each time that was really a very special experience:
we read them together, translated them, and were really pleased with them.
Send declarations of solidarity and greetings to: solidarity_trucker@yahoo.com
Kilometerfresser TV thanks the foundation for Human Dignity and Working World for their support.