Social Partnership in Russia – a Response to Trade Union Weakness? Maria Bytchkova

Emerging TU organisations in post-Soviet period Traditional trade unions – FNPR Old structure and personnel Inherited property and membership New alternative trade unions (new or break away) - represent single industry or occupation - more militant

FNPR - falling membership Source: Clarke, 2007, Russian Statistics Agency and FNPR data

TU density in EU 80%-89% in Belgium, Denmark, Finland and Sweden; 70%-79% in Italy and Norway; 40%-49% in Austria and Slovenia; 30%-39% in Hungary, Ireland and Portugal; 20%-29% in Bulgaria, Germany, Greece, the Netherlands, Slovakia and the UK; 10%-19% in Estonia, Latvia, Poland and Spain. Source: European Industrial Observatory

Largest TU associations Name Units Membership,000 FNPR 28,000 All-Russia Conference of labour (VKT) Miners(NPG), “Solidarnost”, metalurgists, etc 1,271 Confederation of Russian Labour (KTR) Air traffic controllers, pilots, dockers, seafarers 1,250 Sotsprof Locomotive drivers, public catering, writers 450 Source: Clarke, trade union project; FNPR data

FNPR and its strategy Firm level organization of strikes collective agreements National level lobbying legislation mass actions of protest

Number of workers involved in strikes, thousand

Number of working days lost to strikes, thousand

Number of enterprises experiencing strikes

Firm level Number of registered collective agreements 1993 – 68 800 1999 – 144 600 2006 – 184 700 (covering 52% of all workforce) But still problems with content and enforcement

FNPR achievements Keeping organization and property intact Securing wide consultation rights on federal, regional and enterprise level Partial influence on government decisions through lobbying the legislature, social partnership and through protest action

On national level FNPR was able to Influence Law on Employers’ Associations in 1999 Secure rejection of govt draft law on social insurance funds Ensure inclusion of its proposals in several other laws Re-establish work of RTK after June 2004 protests Through mass protests blocked government’s draft of labour code in 200l, subsequent draft was agreed with FNPR BUT could not bring minimum wage to minimal subsistence levels

What is SP on regional level? Tripartite Commission + Agreement TU participate on govt committees Wage committee operating with strong govt support Participants all say SP was important in reducing wage arrears BUT GOVT IS THE DRIVING FORCE

Social partnership in Russian regions Government Trade Unions Employers Press govt to guarantee wages in return for social peace and polt support Press employers to increase wages in return for subsidies and favourable treatment

Effectiveness of TU Large membership base Low popularity (14%) Variable mobilization capacity Variable efficiency Yet examples show that TU can influence elections (Moscow, Ulianovsk) and social policy (Samara)

Sources of TU weakness Path dependency - low authority and legitimacy - old personnel - passive membership Structural - low credibility of strike threat - de facto dependence on enterprise administration