Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Russia - History

History

The FNPR was established in 1990, one year before the dissolution of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. After the breakup, With the exception of the military, the FNPR was one of the few national institutions to retain its power and functions. These abilities included control over the disbursement of social insurance funds, the right to contest and veto dismissal of workers, and automatic deductions, or check-offs, from employee wages.

The FNPR continued to operate in a manner similar to soviet era unions. Members included both workers and management, and often labour unrest was aimed at the government, rather than employers, in an effort to preserve the command market economy, as opposed to a free market system.

Boris Yeltsin, former President of Russia, set up the Tripartite Commission for the Regulation of Social and Labour Relations in 1992. The FNPR was given 9 of the 14 labour seats on the board, and the government soon recognized the union as its primary social partner, elevating its status against that of other trade unions.

During the Russian political crisis of October 3, 1993 the FNPR, under the leadership of Igor Klochkov, called for the defense of the Russian White House in support of Aleksandr Rutskoy and the illegally dissolved Supreme Soviet of Russia and Congress of Soviets. There was little response from workers to this call, and the consequences for the union were swift. Having passed a motion of their support for Rutskoy on September 28, Yeltsin passed a presidential decree the same day - stripping the union of its right to control and dispense social insurance funds and other benefits. Following Yeltin's victory in the White House showdown, further threats to end mandatory wage check-offs resulted in the hurried removal of Klochkov from leadership. He was replaced on October 11, by Mikhail Shmakov, who has maintained the post through to the present date.

Although the control of the Social Insurance fund was placed with the Labour Ministry, in reality there was little change to the administration.

In 1998 Russia was hit by a severe financial crisis, and the FNPR was again at odds with Yeltsin, calling for his resignation in an open letter. The union preferred Yevgeny Primakov, the dismissed prime minister, and the Otechestvo coalition. However, this support appears to have been relatively weak, as regional trade unions had their own positions and interests, and it was Vladimir Putin who was appointed Prime Minister, and then Acting President, four months later.

In 2001 a new labour code was introduced in the State Duma. It was strongly opposed by all but one of the trade unions. As well, in a July 9 speech to the Federal Assembly, Putin stated that there was no longer a need for the Trade Unions to perform state functions such as the distribution of social benefits.