Russia

The Russian trade union system

While trade union systems were already established in many other countries, the Russian trade union system was only able to develop after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, although its structures are still deeply rooted in the Soviet past and remain recognisable in some places to this day. Before the collapse of the Soviet Union, the trade unions were closely intertwined with the state and served primarily as instruments of social and political control of the working class. During the Stalin era in particular, trade unions were effectively nationalised and were merely tools of the ruling political elite. Their original function of defending and protecting workers' rights was severely restricted. Strikes were virtually banned and the organisational structure of the trade unions reflected the authoritarian and centralised structure of the Soviet state. This led to a system in which genuine workers' interests were hardly taken into account, while the state regarded trade unions as the idealistic foundation of a communist workers' and peasants' state. This development continued until the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.

With the collapse of the Soviet Union, the formerly tightly controlled and state-organised trade union system lost its integrity. From then on, the trade union system was forced to redefine itself and face the challenges of a market economy-orientated society. The Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Russia (FNPR), which was founded in 1990, emerged as the successor organisation to the Soviet All-Russian Trade Union Council and largely retained its dual organisational structure. With around 20 million members (as of 2024), it is the trade union organisation with the largest membership in Russia. The chairman of the FNPR has been Mikhail Shmakov, a well-known Russian trade unionist who has been in office continuously since 1993 and is known for his influence and long-standing role in employee representation as well as his efforts to involve the FNPR in cooperation with state bodies. Despite the formal changes, the FNPR has remained closely linked to the state structure, which gives it a certain closeness to the state. It is also involved in the so-called Trilateral Commission, which is a joint dialogue forum for official trade unions and the state government to help shape social policy decisions. Overall, the FNPR is perceived as a traditionalist and rather passive organisation, which has also led to growing criticism of it. At international level, the FNPR was a member of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) until 2022. In the wake of international sanctions against Russia and the current political developments in the country, the FNPR lost its membership of the ITUC, which highlights the challenges for organising in the global trade union movement.

In addition to the FNPR, there are also independent trade unions such as the All-Russian Confederation of Labour (VKT) and the Confederation of Labour of Russia (KTR), which were founded in the 1990s and are still members of the ITUC. According to their own statements, these trade unions strive for greater independence from state influence, use alternative industrial action and are considered to be more actionist. However, they only have a small number of members compared to the FNPR and face considerable legal and political hurdles. In Russia, strikes and other industrial action are heavily regulated, which considerably restricts the trade unions' scope for action. The legal requirements for a legal strike are often so complex and strictly formulated that they are difficult to implement in practice.

Although the independent trade unions are striving for a more militant and independent representation of workers, they have only had limited success due to the political entanglements of the FNPR and the existing legal framework. At the same time, however, they have seen a slight increase in membership, especially since the coronavirus pandemic in 2022, when the working conditions of many employees deteriorated.

Despite a significant decline in membership since the early 1990s, the FNPR remains an important player in the Russian trade union system. In 1993, it still had around 70 million members, whereas today around 20 million are organised. The FNPR, which is closely linked to the ruling party 'United Russia', nevertheless remains significantly active in social policy, for example by running kindergartens and recreation centres for employees. A concrete success was achieved in 2019 when it was able to adjust wage increases in the healthcare and education sectors in line with inflation. In addition, unionised workers earn on average 10- 15% more than their non-organised colleagues, which underlines the importance of trade union work. In general, however, the FNPR favours political negotiations with the government instead of resorting to strikes, for example.

The FNPR and other Russian trade unions attach great importance to cultivating and promoting a culture of remembrance that emphasises their historical roots and achievements. In particular, 1 May, "Labour Day", serves as a highly symbolic occasion on which trade union members and supporters in Moscow and numerous other cities in Russia come together for commemorative events, demonstrations and rallies. These annual gatherings not only commemorate the successes of the labour movement, but also emphasise the ongoing role of trade unions in the fight for better working conditions and workers' rights. The trade unions also organise actions on other commemorative days that both honour historical events and strengthen the sense of community and awareness of the long tradition of the labour movement in Russia.

Overall, it is clear that the Russian trade union system continues to be strongly characterised by its Soviet past. While the political and economic environment has changed fundamentally since 1991, the trade union system has only partially adapted. Although the independent trade unions offer an alternative, their influence remains limited due to the strong political and legal obstacles. The FNPR remains the dominant force, but is coming under increasing pressure from inside and outside, which is jeopardising its future. The historically close links between state structures and trade unions make it difficult for trade unions in Russia to achieve complete independence, which has ultimately contributed to a decline in general interest in trade union participation. In the near future, Russian trade unions and the state must work together to develop forward-looking solutions in order to ensure the sustainable organisation of the workforce. 

Contributed by Jonathan Jänsch (Ruhr-Universität Bochum)