Posted on 07/20/2006 2:38:35 PM PDT by sergey1973
A storm is brewing in Surgut, the seemingly sleepy hometown of Kremlin-friendly oil company Surgutneftegaz. Discontent over wages and management tactics is driving thousands of workers onto the streets in protest.
Managers at the closely held company may be sitting on a cash pile estimated at more than $13 billion from sky-high oil prices, but the sense of prosperity is not felt by many of the firm's thousands of workers, say workers at the company, who have set up a fledgling independent union to make their case for better conditions.
The frustrations first broke out into the open during the May Day rally in Surgut, a city of 300,000 in the Khanty-Mansiisk autonomous district that has long been presented as a model oil town where salaries and taxes are paid and people are happy.
During the officially sanctioned rally, hundreds of workers broke off from the main march to call for higher wages.
The protest movement has since mushroomed, with thousands of workers and residents attending a series of rallies in the city.
(Excerpt) Read more at themoscowtimes.com ...
That's only about $910.
Did anyone expect anything else from the Kremlin?
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