Russia October 7 Strike (fwd)

[Robert Weissman <rob@essential.org>]

Brussels October 6, 1998

Dear Colleagues: 

Strikes and rallies will be held right across the Russian Federation
tomorrow, 7 October, as the country's trade unions press for an end to
anti-social economic policies and the immediate full payment of the
massive wage debt owed to Russia's workers. 

The ICEM cybercampaign Pay Us Our Wages has been updated to allow Web
users worldwide to take part in tomorrow's Russian action. It includes
links for messages of support to the Russian unions and for protests to
Boris Yeltsin and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Also now online
is the full text of the solidarity appeal launched by the Russian trade
union federation FNPR. 

Further extensive updates of the site will be made today and tomorrow. 

The cybercampaign features detailed news of the situation in Russia and
various "cyberpicketing" activities through which Web users can directly
support the Russian unions' action. 

The ICEM cybercampaign can be accessed now: 

- in English at http://www.icem.org/campaigns/no_pay_cc/index.html

- in Russian at http://www.icem.org/campaigns/no_pay_cc_rus/index.html

TO PICKET, JUST CLICK IT. 
 
Protest to the IMF and World Bank! 

 While million of workers will be striking on October 7 and millions more
 taking part in marches and demonstrations across Russia, the IMF and
World
 Bank will be in session in the more comfortable surroundings of the
Marriott
 Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, D.C. The 53rd Joint Annual Meetings of
the
 Boards of Governors of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank
 Group are taking place. 

 High on the agenda, of the Annual Meetings and Board of Governors of the
two
 organizations, will be the Russian economy. Russian Finance Minister
Mikhail
 Zadornov told the press, on October 2, 1998, that Russia was counting on
 getting loans worth $2.5 billion from international sources to help
stabilise
 its financial crisis as he arrived in Washington for the IMF and World
Bank
 meetings and that the loan figure was already included in the
government's
 draft budget for the fourth quarter of 1998. However the conditions
attached
 to the as-yet undelivered loans cause great concern to workers and trade
 unions. 

The "cyber-campaign" includes a new series of links for internet users to
send protests to the government and also to the IMF/WB annual meetings in
Washington and is online at: 

- in English at http://www.icem.org/campaigns/no_pay_cc/index.html

- in Russian at http://www.icem.org/campaigns/no_pay_cc_rus/index.html

Support Russian workers in their struggle against the scandal of wage
arrears! 

In Solidarity,

Jim Catterson
ICEM Chemical and Process Industries Officer