Russian trade-unions are offered to adopt experience of American locals

For more efficient work Russian trade-unions should adopt the experience of the US trade-unions, the chairman of the Russian Independent Trade-Union Federation Michael Shmakov said at the conference in Ufa.

The dependency of the trade-union upon the employers, often observed in Russia, is totally absent in the USA. Same can be said about the trade-union committees of the staff and only so-called locals are occupied with the trade-union activity.

“Such local is the representative of the trade-union, working in a definite area, where some profiled enterprises are concentrated” – Michael Shmakov said – “At that these enterprises can be located on the territories of different states and the only thing that it would be convenient for the trade-union leader to reach every such enterprise and to work with working people there. This person negotiates with the employers, he is independent from them and paid by the trade-union and in case of any conflicts he stands upon the rights of the workers, not being afraid of any pressure of the employers”.

In opinion of Michael Shmakov such experience of trade-union activity in the USA might become the most efficient in Russia. As for the experience of the developed European countries, it suits us less and the main reason is the difference between the scales of the Russian territory and the territories of these states. Even Germany, which is considered a big country in Europe, can be crossed by car during one day, so the central trade-unions can work with the workers there directly without any intermediate regional subcommittees. In Russia such work is impossible because one can’t solve all problems only from Moscow and it is necessary to have at least one person, who would protect the interests of workers in this or that region.