3 April, 2012Benteler workers in Russia win the strike over recognition of their union. On April 2 the administration of the plant issued an official statement accepting negotiations with the Interregional Trade Union of Autoworkers (ITUA).
RUSSIA: Benteler workers in Kaluga, Russia, won the strike over recognition of their union. On April 2 at 8AM the administration of the plant issued an official statement accepting negotiations with the Interregional Trade Union of Autoworkers (ITUA).
During the strike the administration was using university students, several Volkswagen workers, office staff and construction workers as strikebreakers. The assembly line at Benteler didn't stop, however, striking workers blocked the entries to the plant and stopped the lorries with Benteler components from going to Volkswagen, disrupting supplies, and also preventing strikebreakers from entering the plant. There are also reports that the car parts made by scabs are defective. The strike certainly affected VW performance.
The police completely left the plant on March 30; security guards didn't interfere with the strike.
The ITUA is affiliated nationally to the union center Confederation of Labour of Russia (KTR). On March 31 KTR president Boris Kravchenko came to Kaluga. There was a meeting between Kravchenko, Dmitry Kozhnev (ITUA coordinator in Kaluga), Alexei Nastin (president of the union local at Benteler) and the governor of Kaluga region Anatoly Artamonov, members of the regional government, Benteler director Hubert Koopmann and HR director Elena Sirotkina.
The result of the meeting was the following: Koopmann and Sirotkina promised to issue an official statement recognizing the ITUA as social partner and accepting negotiations with it on Monday, April 2 at 8AM. Striking workers left the plant.
The administration fulfilled its promise, and on April 2 at 8AM the statement was announced. Collective bargaining with the ITUA will begin on Wednesday, April 4.
"The strike at Bentler is a huge success for the workers' movement in Kaluga. The results will have a great impact on all the autoworkers in the region,"' said Olga Masson, editor of the ITUA newspaper Autoworker.