From: MSN NicknameEagle_wng  (Original Message)    Sent: 8/1/2007 8:23 PM
2.8.2007 01:31 MSK
Repressions against trade union activists on eve of Avto-Vaz strike
RUSSIA, Togliatti in the Samarsky region. On July 29 associates for the trade-union movement announced that on July 27, Anton Pustovoy, an Avto-Vaz welder who actively participated in the preparation of a strike set to begin on August 1 had been detained, according to a report by the Collective Action Institute (IKD). He called his mother on July 29 from the detention center, and reported that he was detained for resisting the police.

According to Pyetr Zolotarev, chairman of the free trade union "Unity", Pustovoy had been being followed for several days. He was difficult to detain, because comrades from work constantly accompanied him. On July 27 at the end of the second shift, he was detained in the cloakroom.

Pustovoy was detained for supporting workers, and preparing to strike, notes IKD. According to Zolotarev they found leaflets calling for the strike with Pustovoy's phone number printed on them. Zolotarev reported that Pustovoy's detention is not the only one. Many workers have been called and have had "instructive" conversations with the police. "The police are working on behalf of a commercial organization", concluded the IKD. Avto-Vaz management has reacted to the threat of a strike by attempting with the aid of the law-enforcement agencies to intimidate workers, notes the IKD. According to Peter Zolotarev, they have created an atmosphere of fear.

Thus far the worker's resolution to stop the main conveyor on August 1 remains in force. The trade union "Unity" has given workers systematic aid to the workers. The problem is there are few members of "Unity" in these shops. But preparation for the strike continues.

According to the IKD, on July 28, activists of the Revolutionary Workers Party (RRP) Doronenko, Sivachev, and Biyets met to go to Samara to meet with the working active membership of Avto-Vaz in connection with the planned strike. They had five thousand copies of their newspaper "Working Democracy" with them – a special issue, with material on working activists in the Samarsky region, in particular material about Avto-Vaz.

The activists had just entered the train at Kazan station when police approached them. They were detained and taken into custody. "We witnessed the discussion between the police about letting us go immediately after the train left and about writing a protocol about the detention", described Doronenko.

According to the activists, officers in the Kazan police station obtained a fax from the MVD of the Samarsky region with the demand that they suppress the sending of socially dangerous literature. Officers sent from Samara were even present at the detention. According to Doronenko, "In the end, either the FSB or the militia decided not to simply release the activists, as they would somehow get to their destination. As a result of long discussion they decided to take the entire print run under the pretext of checking its legality". The officer from Samara copied the activists' passports and sent a copy to the provincial administration. After three hours, the activists were released without charges. For a long time, the person on duty attempted to refuse to issue a protocol about the withdrawal of the newspapers, but after a call was placed to the security service, a copy of the protocol of withdrawal was given to the activists.

"The authorities are frightened by the prospect of a strike at the largest plant in the country. In Togliatti, Internal Affairs and the plant's security service have been following keeping tabs on activists", stated Mikhail Doronenko.

Translated by OM Kenney
PRIMA-News Agency [2007-07-30-Rus-21]
 
http://www.prima-news.ru/eng/news/news/2007/8/2/38875.html