Problems in coal-mining industry and their role in the protest movement of miners in Kuzbass during transitionto a market economy (1992-1999)

In 1990 miners were one of the main actors inthe protest movement in Russia and in Kuzbass particularly. The protest activity of miners was caused by the crises in coal industry whichhad both common for the country characteristics and special regional features. The worst mistakes and failures which lad the main Kuzbassindustry to crisis are the following: lack of the industry development plan neither on the federal nor on the regional level, disorganization ofthe industry management system from lower to upper levels, reduced budgeting of restructuring programs, inflation, unbalanced pricingpolicy, bad investment potential of the industry, decrease in the population purchasing power, criminalization of coal production, destroyingthe geological survey, reduction of the working capital, obsolete technologies, strikes, employee turnover, incomplete fulfillment of socialobligations by the RF government. As a result from 1992 to 1999 coal production in the region fell from 120 to 109 million tons, coal mineslost their competitive advantages. The main economic performances (especially productivity) at Kusbass mines were worse than those atmines of Pechora basin. Low salaries and irregular payments led to a dramatic decay of "the working elite". The miners believed that strikemovement is the way out of the crisis. The protest movement of miners in Kuzbass was the most powerful in 1997-1998, which is the periodwhen problems in coal-mining industry were aggravated. At the same time the impact of the coal industry crisis on the growth of minersprotest movement during transition to a market economy shouldn't be overestimated. The research showed that the condition of Kuzbass coalproduction was worse than that of Pechora basin. However until June 1998 Kuzbass miners didn't show such active protest actions as minersin Vorkuta and Inta did. Therefore the protest movement of miners in Kuzbass in 1990-s was restrained by some other factors which arepoorly studied.

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