2015 ITUC Global Rights Index - Russia
| Publisher | International Trade Union Confederation |
| Publication Date | 10 June 2015 |
| Cite as | International Trade Union Confederation, 2015 ITUC Global Rights Index - Russia, 10 June 2015, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/557a9a083a.html [accessed 3 November 2019] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
2015 ITUC Global Rights Index Rating: 3
Metalworkers face union busting:
Union representatives at Turbodetal tried to negotiate a collective agreement with the management concerning the problem of underpaid workers holding more than one position and the increase in the cost-of-living. Tired of fruitless talks, workers called for a general assembly on 17 October 2014 in which they demanded to be compensated for working more than one job and better pay to cover inflation. As a consequence the factory management set out to bust the union. According to the union committee, factory supervisors received instructions on how to force workers to withdraw from their trade union. The supervisors and team leaders themselves were threatened with having their bonuses cut or stopped if they failed to persuade workers to leave the union. As a result of the union busting, around 200 workers withdrew from the union.
Criminal prosecution of trade union activist:
On 15 December 2014, Nakhodka city court handed down a guilty verdict against Leonid Tikhonov, chairman of the Russian Trade Union of Dockers of East Port. He was sentenced to imprisonment in a penal colony for 3 years and 6 months for embezzling union funds. The Dockers' Union of Russia believes that the allegations against Tikhonov are false and that he is being victimised for his trade union activities.
The ITUC Global Rights Index Ratings:
1 // Irregular violation of rights
Collective labour rights are generally guaranteed. Workers can freely associate and defend their rights collectively with the government and/or companies and can improve their working conditions through collective bargaining. Violations against workers are not absent but do not occur on a regular basis.
2 // Repeated violation of rights
Countries with a rating of 2 have slightly weaker collective labour rights than those with the rating 1. Certain rights have come under repeated attacks by governments and/or companies and have undermined the struggle for better working conditions.
3 // Regular violation of rights
Governments and/or companies are regularly interfering in collective labour rights or are failing to fully guarantee important aspects of these rights. There are deficiencies in laws and/or certain practices which make frequent violations possible.
4 // Systematic violation of rights
Workers in countries with the rating 4 have reported systematic violations. The government and/or companies are engaged in serious efforts to crush the collective voice of workers putting fundamental rights under threat.
5 // No guarantee of rights
Countries with the rating of 5 are the worst countries in the world to work in. While the legislation may spell out certain rights workers have effectively no access to these rights and are therefore exposed to autocratic regimes and unfair labour practices.
5+ // No guarantee of rights due to the breakdown of the rule of law
Workers in countries with the rating 5+ have equally limited rights as countries with the rating 5. However, in countries with the rating 5+ this is linked to dysfunctional institutions as a result of internal conflict and/or military occupation. In such cases, the country is assigned the rating of 5+ by default.
