Principal directions to control protest campaigns of Russian miners in 1992-1999

Principal directions to counteract miners' dissatisfaction involved political response, social and economic activities. They were different as the struggle evolved. The first stage (1992-1997) was distinguished by intensifying miners' protest campaigns. The core way to counteract them was mainly a political opposition based on populism, political dialog, disorganizing, moral and psychological pressure and force. At the beginning of the period in question, populism prevailed, then political dialog and disorganizing were used more frequently. Pressure and force were hardly fallen back on. Economic and social activity comprised three key spheres: developing conditions to support the branch on the macroeconomic level; search for internal reserves by management of companies and enterprises, and diverse assistance by regional and local authorities. In general, measures taken to overcome miners' protests in 19921997 were notable for strong conflict intensity. The second stage (January - July 1998) was a peak point of miners' protest campaigns in Russia. Political counteraction to miners' struggle was distinguished by major breakthroughs: control over economic crime got stronger; the authorities used disorganizing, moral and psychological pressure and force as methods to withstand protest campaigns more often. Economic and social activities gained in importance. Internal and external resources were widely applied to cut arrears of wages. To sum up, control over miners' protest campaigns over the second period was more active and balanced. Decline of protest campaigns was typical for the third stage (August 1998-1999). Special features of protest campaigns of this stage were as follows: populism was not as important as before, political discussions were carried out not with workers but with their legal political representatives, activities of low-enforcement agencies were intensified to control economic crimes. Social and economic activities of the government agencies supported actual reforms of the mining industry and debt repayments to workers. Generally speaking, anti-crisis activity of government agencies and authorities, as well as political organizations was more significant than miners' protest campaigns. It could resolve the most significant social and economic problems and contradictions, keep stability and liberal-democratic way of development.

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