‘If People are Treated like Animals as in Gas Field in Sakha, It’s No Surprise They Protest,’ Duma Deputies Say

Paul Goble

            Staunton, April 29 – The protest at the Gazprom field in the Sakha Republic continue to echo in the Moscow media – on this action, see windowoneurasia2.blogspot.com/2020/04/sakha-gas-field-protest-shows-how.html – generating more anger at the company and government officials who back it for their mistreatment of the workers.

            The Regions.ru portal interviews two Duma deputies, Oleg Shein of Just Russia and Nikolay Arefyev of the KPRF about the events in Sakhar, and runs their remarks under the title “If people are treated like animals, it is no surprise that they will go out to protest” (regions.ru/news/2628273/).

            Shein says that responsibility “in this case” lies with the employer; but “unfortunately,” the attitude of such people hasn’t changed “in the 110 years since the times of the Lena gold fields.” Workers continue to be mistreated as in “sweatshops” and without their basic needs being met.

            “It is obvious,” he continues, “that the reaction of the authorities of Sakha was required, who already many times have shown their objectivity in such disputes and situations.” The federal authorities should get involved too. Moscow is quite prepared to interfere in the lives of ordinary people when it suits the powers that be.

            It must be prepared to interfere with companies when they treat working people “like animals,” the deputy says.

            Arefyev says that ultimate responsibility for such situations is something “the president has taken on himself.” He’s shown himself willing to help foreign countries, “but no one is helping Russia: our government is working for uncles abroad.”  Moscow has not provided the needed devices and medicines. There isn’t any medical help in 17,000 population centers.

            Putin is to blame for this: During his watch, the number of hospital beds in Russia has fallen by half from two million to one million, and he now wants credit for coming up with 116,000 beds now?  “What is this? Illiteracy or wrecking?” the KPRF deputy says with obvious anger.

            “We have already sent an appeal to the president” asking him to give money to the population so that the people can live normally, Arefyev says.  He has done nothing, and so it is no surprise that workers are beginning to protest as in Sakha.  Putin makes promises but “no one does anything.”

            The central government is all talk and no action, and businesses are only concerned about profit, the KPRF deputy continues. The Russian people are the victims of both.