Russian Teachers Union

TEN YEARS OF STRUGGLE

The Union Teacher

                             

By Stephen Wilson 

                             

The independent Union which represents Russian teachers, known as 'Teacher' , has been fighting to defend the rights of school teachers for ten years. It was founded on January 16, 2011, and despite many difficulties, is still going strong to this day. Second City Teachers reviews just a few of the Union's achievements. Its success can never be underestimated.

 

Forget it! It will never happen. Teachers are too afraid, timid and don't understand unions. 

On the eve of their foundation, there was no shortage of critics and cynics who scorned the very idea of founding a genuine independent trade union capable of defending the jobs, pay and struggling to improve the conditions of school teachers in Russia. When some people suggested that it could be done, critics countered with the usual cliches: 'This is Russia so it can't be done' or 'the state will simply suppress it out of existence' and that such people with a vision were 'unrealistic dreamers'. They might answer, 'Come down to earth! 'Well the Union 'Teacher', which was founded in 2011 is still on earth and is not a remote dream but a living reality! Now it is the cynics who look as if they are on Mars. For today the trade union 'Teacher' consists of 47 primary organizations in as many as 18 regions of Russia and according to Vsevolod Lukhovitski has thousands of members. It is unclear exactly how many members are in the Union. A leaflet published by the Union claimed it had as many as 6000 members in 2014 but other sources in the Union state this might be an overestimate. When Second City Teachers spoke to a Moscow organizer, Olga Miryasova, she stated, "I don't think it was 6000. I would say we at least started with 700 members, but I'm not sure about this". When Lukhovitski was pressed for a number two years ago he stated, 'We have thousands of members". I think the most accurate statement would be to say that the numbers don't fall below 1000 and certainly exceed 2000!  

 

Whatever its numerical strength it has certainly made an impressive impact. That it is still going at all represents a tremendous feat. And the Union has won many battles. For instance, they have won cases in the court against unfair dismissals, unfair measures undertaken by the school administration and won financial compensation for teachers who did unpaid work.

Compared to other unions, it is more transparent, accessible and responsive than unions which are not only impotent and ineffective but corrupt. The Chairman of the Union Andrei Demidov declared, 'A real teachers' Union must do everything to make sure that it doesn't turn into form of the vice of 'official unions' - being bureaucratic and detached from the rank and file of it's members, having a closed management and not holding a transparent decision making mechanism'.

 

What are some of the achievements? They have won so many legal cases that lack of space prevents us from pointing to them all. For instance, in Litkurina, which is in the Moscow region, the music teacher Tatyana Yazvinkai won 170,000 rubles compensation after the court found that the school had violated her rights after giving her extra work without concluding a legal agreement. Ludmilla Moshkovo who was fired from school number 1955 was restored to her job, and the court found that the dismissal of Choreographer Larisa Khbuvskaya in Autumn 2018 for allegedly 'violating professional ethics' was unfair! We could go on and on ...

 

Secondly, the union 'Teacher' has managed to win battles defending the pay and improving the conditions of teachers. For instance, the Union won an agreement with the state body Rosobrynagzor that teachers have to take a meal break every four hours without being reprimanded or losing pay. In a School called 'Intellectual', the union managed to conclude a collective agreement which protected 30 staff from 2020 to 2023 and in Saint Petersburg the union has protected teachers from threatened pay cuts when the Committee of Finance sought to cut the extra hours of teachers.

 

The union Teacher has proven again and again that school teachers can win cases in the courts against unfair dismissals and attempts to worsen the conditions of teachers by underpaying or depriving them of work. Thirdly, they have their own on-line newspaper, lawyers and very articulate spokespersons who can explain to teachers what are their legal rights, what they can do in this particular difficult predicament and how they should go about carefully forming a trade union if none exists in their school. I'm impressed by how accessible and down to earth their representatives are and how they are always ready to answer questions or grant an interview. For instance, I obtained a copy of 'How to Defend your Working Rights? Recommendations for Teachers', by V. Lukhovitski and S.Dyachova. {Moscow, 2015] The authors provide detailed and concrete information about how to defend a contract, conclude an agreement with a headmaster and what mistakes to avoid. They even counter every possible objection to forming a union or struggling for your rights. For example, they ask, 'What prevents teachers from calmly pointing out to their employers their illegal measures? There are several opinions.

Firstly, it is uncomfortable for teachers to think about their pay and hours - the position of seeking pay for unpaid work.

Secondly, school, this is our family home, we are one family, and with the main director it is uncomfortable to speak in the language of the law.

Thirdly, to struggle is in vain because it is all the same as we won't achieve anything. The head will always be proven right.

Fourthly, none of our colleagues will support us, and teachers are not capable of any form of solidarity and self organisation'. The authors answer those objections by claiming that until teachers rid themselves of those terrible stereotyped beliefs they will never be able to improve their lot. {page 38}

The authors offer very practical advice about how to go about taking action and even outlining model letters which could be presented to a director and what legal documents are required for initiating a union branch in school. In a word, the union 'Teacher', has an answer for everything. They know what they are about and what is to be done!

 

Unfortunately, even the independence of the union 'Teacher' can not be taken for granted. The leading government party United Russia and officials resent any independent organisations or groups that defend or empower the oppressed. The Union has wisely avoided affiliating to any political organisation or party. To make such a move which compromised their independence would lead to a loss of integrity as well as their hard-won reputation. They might also find themselves being labelled either extremist or conformist. If for example they united with an opposition party they would risk being outlawed. However, in an increasingly repressive atmosphere which Russia finds itself nothing can be taken for granted. The Union 'Teacher' continues to tread very carefully and prudently. But despite some achievements they can never be complacent.