The government has refused to sign a production agreement with our union for 1996 so we have no idea what the future holds. The production agreement is a legacy of the Soviet Union. It guarantees Russian miners a six-hour day, six weeks' vacation and union control over working conditions. On Feb. 3, the Yeltsin-Chernomyrdin regime agreed to pay part of the miners' back wages. The Russian Coal Union leadership voted six to five to end the strike.
Wildcat strikes continue at several mines.
The union says its members will walk again on March 1 if the government doesn't honor its promise. As of Feb. 5, the Ukrainian strike is continuing. The system used to take care of all the people. Old people could live on their pensions. We are ashamed.