On November 12, 2007, the Committee on Transit Transport (CTT), St. Petersburg Government, issued a list of works to be necessarily executed by the stevedoring of Sea Port of St. Petersburg OJSC during an unlimited strike. The document was based on the corresponding Article of the RF Labor Code (No 412) and on the related Decree of St. Petersburg Government (No 44, dated 23.01.2007) “On setting up of a regional list of minimal operations (services) obligatory for implementation during strikes involving personnel of organizations (subsidiaries, representations, other business subdivisions), self-employed entrepreneurs of St. Petersburg transport complex, road facilities, municipal and commuter transport utilities, long-distance road passenger transport, which participate in St. Petersburg traffic management and relate to human health, safety and vital interests. According to the document issued by the CTT, the employees of First Stevedoring Company CJSC, Second Stevedoring Company CJSC and Forth Stevedoring Company CJSC (part of the Sea Port of St. Petersburg) were to continue handling of dangerous goods delivered to the port of St. Petersburg during the unlimited strike started November 13.
According to the International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) Code, the list includes explosives, gases, flammable liquids and flammable solids, substances liable to spontaneous combustion, oxidizing substances, toxic and infectious substances, organic peroxides as well as radioactive materials and corrosive substances excluding all types of mineral fertilizers.
Administration of First Stevedoring Company provided the Strike Committee with the List containing detailed enumeration of specific goods falling under the category including certain types of grain cargo – grain cake.
Striking dockers refused to handle this type of cargo, which resulted in numerous applications of cargo owners to CTT with a request to get the law obeyed.