Members of the Russian Oil, Gas, and Construction Workers’ Union (ROGWU) at the Federal State Unitary Enterprise State Institute of Organic Synthesis Technology (FGUP GITOS) in the town of Shikhany, Russia are seeking solidarity in their struggle to have a settlement of the wage arrears that go back all the way to 2003.

ICEM strongly encourages affiliates to send messages of protest to the Russian President and his Government. Below is a draft model letter for that purpose - please feel free to modify the letter.

Driven to despair by years-long inability of the Federal Agency for Industry of the Russian Federation to resolve the dispute, the FGUP GITOS workers resorted to extreme measures and 30 of them went on a hunger strike on June 25, 2007. (See our Web-site for details: http://www.icem.org/en/78-ICEM-InBrief/2308-Russian-Chemical-Workers-start-Hunger-Strike).

Please help these resolute trade unionists who are standing up against a Government that is indifferent to their drastic situation with messages of protest. Messages will be sent to the following addresses:

• Vladimir V. Putin, President, Russian Federation
• Viktor B. Khristenko, Minister of Industry and Energy, RF

Thank you very much for your co-operation.

Manfred Warda,
General Secretary
ICEM