Russian state workers rally for higher wages
Up to four million Russian teachers and other state employees were expected to rally across the nation today to demand higher wages.
About one million workers were to hold a warning strike, while about three million were expected to take part in public rallies, according to Mikhail Kuzmenko, president of Russia’s non-industrial labour unions.
State-employed doctors, teachers and cultural workers – including librarians and museum employees – are demanding a 50% increase this year on monthly wages, which currently range between 3,000 and 4,000 roubles (€82 to €110). They also want further raises next year.
About 300 teachers turned out in the Far East port of Vladivostok, where schools opened and closed early to allow participation in the protest. In Moscow, strikers gathered near the White House – the Russian government headquarters – for a rally that was to last most of the day.
