Daghestani Truckers Talking with Authorities Say They’ll Resume Strike if Demands aren’t Met

Paul Goble

            Staunton, April 29 – The long-haul drivers in Daghestan who have been at the center of the month-long strike suspended their work action as they began talks with  Makhachkala officials, but they said they would immediately resume their strike if the powers that be didn’t keep their promises and meet their demands (ekhokavkaza.com/a/28458709.html).

            Elsewhere, as Russia heads into the weeklong May holidays, the picture was mixed. Drivers in Astrakhan saying they were out of money ended their strike (.kavkaz-uzel.eu/articles/301887/).  But in Udmurtia, government officials announced they would press Moscow to end the Plato fee system (susanin.news/udmurtia/power/20170429-235920/).

            In Kabardino-Balkaria and in many regions across the Russian Federation, drivers continued their strike either by remaining in their camps or parking their cars at home and not delivering anything in order to put more pressure on officials to meet their demands (rostovprodukt.ru/news/v-kbr-prodolzhili-protest-40-dalnoboyshchikov).

            While some officials were prepared to open talks, others continued to take a hard line. In Oryol, for example, the police dispersed a meeting of long-haul drivers that they had earlier given permission to take place (vechor.ru/index.php/2010-09-06-13-54-30/15980-v-orle-politsiya-razognala-soglasovannyj-miting-dalnobojshchikov).

            And relations with opposition parties and groups also varied. In Pskov, the strikers are to take part on May Day celebrations alongside the KPRF column; but in Volgograd, officials denied them permission to march (vlg.newdaypost.ru/novosti/obshchestvo/volgogradskim-dalnobojshhikam-ne-razreshili-uchastvovat-v-pervomajskom-shestvii.html).

            It appears that the May holidays are having an impact on the strike. Not only are some drivers returning home to plant food for their families, but some appear to have concluded that any actions they take during the holidays, especially with money running short, won’t get much attention and so are less willing to continue.