Campaign news

Ukrainian Socialist Solidarity Mass Picket

11th June 2014

Ukrainian Socialist Solidarity Mass Picket

12th June from 10.30am
At Chelsea FC
Stamford Bridge, Fulham Road, London SW6 1HS

The Oligarchs of the EVRAZ corporation - exploiters of Ukrainian miners—are meeting for their AGM.
NGPU, the Independent Union of Miners of Ukraine in the city of Kryvyi Rih are fighting to end to their slave wages.
They are appealing to the labour movement to help them. Come along and show your solidarity.

We are protesting in support of the miners in the Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih , employed by the corporation EVRAZ. They are appealing for solidarity from the workers of Europe.

Whilst attention has been focused on the conflict in Ukraine the social-economic crisis is being overlooked.
•Workers real wages have fallen by up to 50% as the cost of living has risen,
•Miners have received only 15% of their actual pay rates,
•A promised pay rise for miners of 20% turned into a £25 hand-out.

Many miners work for the company EVRAZ which is based in London. It is owned by the Russian Oligarch Abramov, he is worth $7.5 billion. The CEO Frolov is worth $1.6 billion. In contrast the average wage of a miner is £267.00 per-month!

Miners are driven to work harder and harder to raise production. If you refuse to work in dangerous conditions, you get sacked!
Behind the glossy image of EVRAZ miners describe their conditions as ‘industrial feudalism’.
The oligarchs who rule Ukraine are one of the main causes of the current crisis. They pay slave wages, pay almost no tax, and hoard vast wealth abroad. Ukrainian workers are enduring, conflict, poverty and austerity. The Miners of Kryvyi Rih are fighting back. They have ensured peace and unity in their community. They are united in struggle against the Ukrainian and Russian Oligarchs, they are demanding a 50% pay rise from EVRAZ to end their poverty.

Ukrainian Socialist Solidarity seeks to organise solidarity and provide information in support of Ukrainian socialists and trade unionists, campaigning for working class and democratic rights, against imperialist intervention and national chauvinism. It seeks to co-ordinate socialist and labour movement organisations who agree on this task, regardless of differences and opinions on other questions.

Basic aims are:
• To support and build direct links with the independent socialists and the labour movement in Ukraine.
• To support the right of the Ukrainian people to determine their own future free from external intervention from Russian or Western imperialism.