Three stevedoring companies of Sea Port of St. Petersburg start striking

Personnel of three stevedoring companies of Sea Port of St. Petersburg have started the strike, Aleksandr Moiseenko, Chairman of the Port Committee of Russian Port Worker’s Trade Union announces according to RIA Novosti. "The strike was officially started at 8:00 a.m. though actually the work is stopped from 9 a.m., on hour after the shift starts," Mr. Moiseenko says. According to him, no court rulings saying the strike is illegal were received by the Committee as of 8.00 a.m. (Moscow time). Mr. Moiseenko also says the next negotiations with employer are planned for 12.00 a.m. (Moscow time). Grievance committee has failed to come to a consensus. The last workers’ proposal officially furnished to the Committee envisioned a two-phase 30% increase of tariff rates (official salaries) for employees. Earlier, Mr. Moiseenko told that at the first stage of the strike only dock workers, mechanics and personnel of the companies’ technical department will participate, though the first and the last hour of each shift will be working hours. The strike is to involve some 1,300 workers. Mr. Moiseenko also quoted unofficial source as saying that the employer was going to litigate legality of the strike at municipal court. Theport’s press center refused to comment. Sea Port of St. Petersburg comprises four stevedoring companies operating at the territory of the Big Port of St. Petersburg. In 2006, the group accounted for 22% in the throughput of the Big Port.