University Solidarity Russia

Déclaration du comité syndical (“Solidarité universitaire”) de l’Université Lomonossov de Moscou

Le 29 décembre à 6 h du matin la police a fait irruption dans l’appartement de Mikhaïl Lobanov, professeur adjoint de la faculté mécano-mathématique de l’Université Lomonossov de Moscou, docteur ès sciences, militant du syndicat “Solidarit universitaire”. La porte enfoncée, les policiers ont renversé Mikhail par terre et l’ont battu, sous prétexte d’une “perquisition” liée aux poursuites sur une soi-disante “diffusion des infox”. Par la suite, Mikhaïl a été accuse d’un “refus d’obéissance aux policiers” et écroué à 15 jours. Le même jour d’autres militants civils ont subi eux aussi des perquisitions.

Mikhaïl Lobanov est notre collègue et camarade connu depuis longue date pour son activité à la défense des droits des étudiants et professeurs de l’Université de Moscou et des habitants du quartier moscovite Ramenki. Il était un des fondateurs du syndicat “Solidarité universitaire” et président de son organisation de base à l’Université Lomonossov. En 2021 il a posé sa candidature aux élections législatives pour faire barrage à un candidat du parti gouvernemental, puis est devenu un des organisateurs de la plateforme électorale “VyDvijenié” (“Vous êtes un mouvement”) qui regroupait les candidates indépendants aux élections municipales. Étant internationaliste et antifasciste de principe, Mikhaïl Lobanov est partisan ferme de la paix et de l’arrêt des hostilités depuis le commencement de “l’opération militaire spéciale”.

Accuser ce savant et militant civil de diffuser des “infox” ou d’avoir un comportement agressif est une absurdité. Le matraquer et jeter en prison est un atteinte au droit et une honte.

Nous sommes persuadés que la persecution de Mikhaïl Lobanov est une représaille politique contre un militant civil et syndical visant à intimider tous ceux qui dans notre situation difficile, tiennent à défendre les droits et libertés des travailleurs, des citoyens.

Nous demandons l’arrêt immédiate des poursuites contre Mikhaïl Lobanov et lançons un appel de solidarité avec lui à nos collègues universitaires, aux organisations syndicales et associations civiles en Russie et à l’étranger. Nous considérons que les directions de l’Université Lomonossov de Moscou et de la faculté mécano-mathématique doivent faire tout leur possible pour défendre le savant et professeur qui a beaucoup contribué au travail de notre université.

Liberté pour Mikhaïl Lobanov!

Le 30 décembre 2022.

Declaration of the union committee, “University Solidarity” of the M. V. Lomonosov Moscow State University

At 6:00am on December 29, police stormed into the apartment of Mikhail Sergeevich Lobanov, docent of the Mechanics and Mathematics department of the M. V. Lomonosov Moscow State University [MGU], candidate of physical and mathematical science, and activist of the trade union, “University Solidarity.” The door to the apartment was broken open and Mikhail Lobanov was thrown on the floor and beaten until he was bloody. This was all termed a “search” in an alleged case concerning the “distribution of fakes.” Mikhail was then accused of “refusal to cooperate with the police” and put behind bars for fifteen days. Searches were conducted on the same day in the apartments of a series of other citizen activists as a part of the same “case.”

Mikhail Lobanov is our colleague and comrade, known for his long-standing work in defense of the rights and interests of students and employees of Moscow University as well as residents of the Ramenki district in Moscow. He was a co-founder of the free trade-union of higher education staff, “University Solidarity,” and chair of its primary organization at MGU. In 2021 he was a candidate for deputy to the State Duma as an alternative to the pro-government candidate, and he then became one of the organizers of the VyDvizhenie platform, which united independent candidates for municipal deputy positions. As a consistent internationalist and antifascist, Mikhail Lobanov, from the very start of the “Special Military Operation” stood openly for the cessation of military actions, for peace.

To incriminate this scholar and social activist for spreading “fakes” or for aggressive behavior is absurd. To beat him and deprive him of freedom is contrary to the law and shameful.

We are convinced that the persecution of Mikhail Lobanov is politically motivated vengeance against a citizen and trade-union activist and a demonstration meant to frighten all who in the current difficult circumstances strive to defend the rights and freedom of workers and of all citizens.

We demand an immediate end to the repressive measures against Mikhail Lobanov and call on all colleagues in Russia and abroad, independent trade-union and civic organizations, to stand in solidarity with him. We believe that the leadership of the M. V. Lomonosov MGU and the Mechanics and Mathematics department of MGU must also use all available means to defend this scholar and teacher who has given so much of himself for the benefit of our university.

Freedom for Mikhail Lobanov!

December 30, 2022

Yesterday, on December 29 at 06:00 in the morning, the door to the apartment of our friend and colleague, Candidate of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Associate Professor of The Faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics of Moscow State University Mikhail Lobanov, was broken down by the law enforcement officers. Mikhail was beaten — traces of blood are visible on the video from the apartment, his home clothing was torn apart, he wasn’t allowed to contact a lawyer, they confiscated all the equipment and he was taken to the police station. Then, following the results of a deliberately prejudiced “trial”, he was arrested for 15 days for “insubordination to authority” (Enactment 19.3 of the Code of Administrative Offenses). Above said were the facts.
In the media information is also being disseminated that the detention of Mikhail and other activists (there were friskings and arrests of Vladmir Zalishchak, Artur Galiyev, Rezeda Abasheva, Nikita Kiforuk, a frisking took place in the apartment of the 88-year-old mother of Sergei Tsukasov) is connected with activities of ex-deputy Ilya Ponomarev. Without going into the details about the activity of Mr. Ponomarev, which is less interesting to us, we consider it obvious that such allegations are baseless, absurd and illegal.

We have no doubts that the prosecution of Mikhail Lobanov is an act of political revenge for his municipal, labour union and political activity, and especially for his public statements against the “special military operation”. This is yet another example of political repressions that Russian civil activists and people who have conscience and honor are exposed to. We consider the actions of the police illegal and deeply immoral. We insist on the immediate release of Mikhail and think that he has to receive an apology from the headmen of those people who broke down his door, and those who participated in his beating should be brought to account.
We appeal to our colleagues: to the academic community, Russian and international, with a request for attention to this outrageous event! No to repressions, political terror and police lawlessness! Freedom for political prisoners!

In the struggle we will find our rights!

Co-chairs of the University Solidarity:

A.A. Arutyunov

P.M. Kudyukin

V.F. Tilles

Statement by the Central Council of the University Solidarity trade union

The so-called special operation by Russian armed forces on Ukrainian territory, which has resulted in human victims and destruction, is also seriously aggravating the situation with human rights in Russia itself. Mass media independent of the state are being closed down, social media networks are being blocked, and laws are being adopted that severely limit the freedom of speech. In reality this is the introduction of military-style censorship.

The workplace rights of teachers, and academic freedoms, are also under threat. University administrations are putting pressure on employees in tertiary education who oppose military action. Several colleagues have been forced out of their jobs. Such incidents have been recorded at the Saratov State Law School, the St Petersburg Trade Union University of the Humanities, the St Petersburg State University of Pediatric Medicine, the Urals State Pedagogical Institute, Adygea State University, the National Research University – Higher School of Economics, and several others. Students are also put under pressure: for participating in peaceful protests against military action, they are threatened with penalties and expulsion from higher education institutions.  

The University Solidarity trade union forcefully condemns any persecution of teachers and students for their civil activity. We call on all colleagues, who are faced with breaches of their labour rights, to send information to our trade union about this, and to join University Solidarity, so that we can join together and fight each and every abuse by education administrators.

At the same time an international campaign to isolate Russia is developing rapidly, including measures to cut off contact with the Russian academic community. Research, which is international in its nature, can not develop in isolation. Very far from all Russian researchers and teachers support the so-called special operation, and so a total academic boycott that affects them would be illogical and damaging. We call on the international research and teaching community to act in solidarity with colleagues both in Ukraine and in Russia.

There is no doubt that the isolation of Russia will result in massive economic decline, sharpening social problems and, as a result, falling living standards. The sharp rise in consumer prices is already resulting in a substantial deterioration in the circumstances of all Russian citizens, teachers included.

Today, when the barracks-style propaganda of military patriotism is being imposed on us, it is important to underline: genuine patriotism consists not in obliging the state authorities and endorsing everything they do, but in striving to assert in one’s country the principles of justice, humanism and peace. We hope that this understanding of love for one’s country is shared by the majority of our colleagues.

In struggle we will achieve our rights!

21 March 2022

In Russian: https://unisolidarity.ru/?p=8903

Francais:

Deutsch:

https://telegra.ph/Gegen-die-Verfolgung-von-Dozentinnen-f%C3%BCr-ihr-staatsb%C3%BCrgerliches-Engagement-03-21?fbclid=IwAR13asfQ789AhrjpUCrFjxEt0jlAd2e–0HZ6ulFoEvj3BEtbfeMev0t8SM

As expected, the extremely dubious electoral procedure, misnamed “elections”, caused mass indignation among the citizens of the Republic of Belarus to which the authorities have responded with widespread violence and repression against many protesters.

There is every reason to believe that the real results of the “elections” in Belarus are completely different from the officially announced figures. A clear proof of this, in particular, are the spontaneous strikes and actions taking place at numerous enterprises. The mass protest movement is caused not only by brazen falsification of the presidential election results by the authoritarian regime of Lukashenko who has been holding power for 26 years. Popular protests also reflect a widespread discontent with the antisocial policy of this regime hiding behind the populist demagoguery.

We stand in solidarity with the position of the country’s independent trade union movement, the Belarusian Congress of Democratic Trade Unions, which has strongly condemned the repressive actions of the authorities and called on workers to fight for the lost rights and liberties. We support the demand of the academic community, scientists and teachers of the Republic of Belarus to put an end to the violence of the authorities against peaceful citizens and to free all political prisoners.

In this situation the actions of the state “trade unions” of Belarus (FTUB) – whose leadership has taken a completely anti-people position, de facto supporting the repressions and violent crackdown on peaceful protests – are outrageous. The increasing degree of violence is on their conscience, too. We believe that in this situation the first action that every decent person in Belarus should take, irrespective of their political views, is to leave all these loyalist organisations that act as parasites on honest workers, and to join one of the democratic trade unions operating in their industry, or to create new ones where no such unions exist.

We believe that the current leadership of the Republic of Belarus, who with full confidence can be considered as having illegally usurped power, bears entire responsibility for the situation. We are confident that the fraternal people of Belarus will be able to achieve justice and return the power in the country to their lawful representatives. We believe that the main tool in this struggle should be solidarity among all those who value the future of independent and free Belarus. We hope that the independent trade union movement will play an important role in this struggle. We are convinced that it is the actions of solidarity, including a general strike, that can pave the way for a democratic and socially just future.

We wish our friends and colleagues good luck and fortitude in their struggle and are ready to help them in any way we can.

We think it should be noted that the events in Belarus tragically resonate with events in Russia, in particular with the ongoing protests in Khabarovsk Krai, as well as with the recent demonstrations for free elections in Moscow and against the pension “reform”. Citizens’ aspirations for free elections and real representation of their social and political interests is a universal unifying force in the post-Soviet states today.

We call on the international workers’ and trade union movement, especially the international trade union centres, to expel from their membership all “official”, authority- and employer-dependent organisations disguised as trade unions that have completely discredited themselves. We call for a boycott of all Belarusian organisations and institutions that have been tainted by supporting the anti-popular actions of the current government.

Long live Belarus! Through struggle we will attain our rights!

15 August 2020

Executive Committee of the Central Council of the “University Solidarity” Trade Union

In Russian: http://unisolidarity.ru/?p=8511

Une procédure électiorale bien douteuse, qualifiée “élections présidentielles” par méprise, avait suscité le mécontement escompté des masses des citoyens de la République de Biélorussie auquel les autorités ont répondu par la violence et la répression inouies contre les participants de ces actions de contestation populaire.

Il y a tout lieu d’estimer que les résultats réels des élections en Bielorussie sont diametralement opposés aux résultats proclamés officiellement. Ce que confirment de façon éclatante les grèves spontanées et les manifestations à plusieurs enterprises. Le mouvement contestataire de masse est déclenché non seulement par une falsification effrontée des résultats des élections présidentielles par le régime autoritaire de Loukachenko qui detient le pouvoir depuis 26 ans déjà. Ce mouvement populaire exprime aussi le mécontement face à la politique sociale du régime qui se couvre d’une démagogie populiste.

Nous sommes solidaires avec le mouvement syndical indépendant du pays, le Congrès des syndicats démocratiques de la Biélorussie qui condamne fermement la violence des autorités et appelle les travailleurs à lutter pour récupérer leur pleins droits et libertés. Nous soutenons la revendication des scientifiques et universitaires de la Biélorussie de mettre fin à la répression contre les citoyens paisibles et de libérer les prisonniers politiques.

Nous sommes indignés de la position tout à fait antipopulaire des “syndicats” d’État dont la direction a de facto approuve la répression et la dispersion de force des actions pacifiques de contestation. Eux aussi, ils sont responsables de la surenchère de la violence. À notre avis, la première chose que doit faire tout homme honnête en Biélorussie quelles que soient ses opinions politiques, c’est de quitter ces organisations loyalists, parasites du monde du travail, et d’adhérer un syndicat démocratique de sa branche, en cas écheant d’en créer un.

Nous sommes pérsuadés que toute responsabilité de la situation incombe à la direction en place de la République de Biélorussie qu’on peut, de science certaine, considérer comme usurpant le pouvoir. Nous croyons que le peuple frère de la Biélorussie pourra obtenir gain de cause et restituer le pouvoir à ces propres représentants. Nous estimons que l’instrument principal de cette lutte, doit être la solidarité entre tous ceux qui veulent la Biélorussie libre et indépendante.

Nous espérons que le mouvement syndical indépendant aura la part belle dans cette lutte. Nous estimons que ce sont les actions solidaires, la grève générale comprise, qui peuvent ouvrir la route vers l’avenir démocratique de la justice sociale.

Nous souhaitons à nos amis et collègues biélorusses bon courage et la fermeté dans leur lutte et sommes prêts à les aider de notre mieux.

Il convient de noter que les événements en Biélorussie ont des parallèles évidentes avec certains événements en Russie, par exemple, les contestations qui se poursuivent à la région de Khabarovsk, et les manifestations récentes pour la liberté des élections à Moscou ou contre la réforme des retraites. L’aspiration à la liberté, à la représentation juste des intérêts sociaux et politiques des citoyens est une force universelle qui réunit les gens de bonne volonté à l’espace post-soviétique.

Nous appelons le mouvement ouvrier et syndical international et notamment les grands centrales syndicales, à exclure toutes les organisations soi-disant syndicales qui dépendent des États et du patronat tant qu’elles se sont complètement discréditées. Nous appelons à boycotter toutes les organisations et structures biélorusses qui se sont déshonorées en approuvant les mesures antipopulaires du régime en place.

Vive la Biélorussie! C’est dans la lutte qu’on reprend ses droits!

Le 15 août 2020

Le Comité exécutif du Conseil central du syndicat “Solidarité universitaire”

Le texte en russe: Le texte en russe

Join the international campaign of solidarity with Dr. Maxim Balashov, Professor at the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT) and a chairperson of the MIPT’s branch of the independent trade union University Solidarity (Universitetskaya Solidarnost, UNISOL)!

Maxim Balashov, a professor of mathematics, has been working at the MIPT for nineteen years. With his active participation UNISOL has successfully fought for increased salaries and reduced workloads, as well as fighting to ensure that the university complies with the Russian state labour code.

Now the bosses of the MIPT decided to get rid of Professor Balashov by refusing to renew his contract, and openly cited his union activity as the reason for this. In particular, they blamed him for criticizing policies of the MIPT administration in mass media.

The UNISOL union and the Russia’s Confederation of Labour (independent trade union center to which the UNISOL belongs) launched the international campaign aimed at reinstatement of Professor Balashov and defense of trade union rights and academic freedoms in Russia.

If you support these aims, please  sign the petition on LabourStart: Russia: Union-busting at the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology

https://www.labourstartcampaigns.net/show_campaign.cgi?c=3842

Also, very important would be to send individual and collective protest letters to rector of MIPT, N. Kudryavstev at  [email protected],  with copy to the union at [email protected]

You can get more information on the Prof. Balashov case from the following sources:

• Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology fires a math professor after he told journalists about the school’s restructuring controversy

https://meduza.io/en/news/2018/06/27/moscow-institute-of-physics-and-technology-fires-a-math-professor-after-he-told-journalists-about-the-school-s-restructuring-controversy

• On the UNISOL organization at the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology

http://unisolidarity.ru/mipt/2018/07/09/note-on-the-trade-union-at-moscow-institute-of-physics-and-technology/#more-1560

Statement by the Central Council of the University Solidarity trade union

The Central Council protests against the attempt by the authorities in Kazakhstan to deprive the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions of the Republic of Kazakhstan (KNPRK) of its legal status, and voices its serious concern about the situation with regard to workers’ rights there. The attack on the KNPRK is part of a general offensive against labour and civil rights by the regime of N. Nazarbayev.

The Kazakhstan authorities bear responsibility for the shooting of striking workers in Zhanaozen in 2011. And now they are taking from working people the legal instruments to defend their rights, and are trying to destroy the free trade union movement. In 2014 Kazakhstan adopted a draconian law on trade unions, which made it more difficult to set up trade union organisations, subjected them to stifling bureaucratic control and imposed a whole array of restrictions on their activities. In 2015 participation in “unlawful strikes” was made a criminal offence. All these measures breached the international legal norms and International Labour Organisation conventions, and created conditions for arbitrary rule over employees by employers and the state.

We demand that the Kazakhstan authorities stop the persecution of trade unions and rigorously observe fundamental human rights – the freedom of assembly and of trade union activity.

We stand in solidarity with our comrades of the KNPRK and call on all trade union organisations, civil society groups and all concerned citizens to support the free trade unions of Kazakhstan in their just struggle. 

Adopted by the Central Council of University Solidarity, 10 December 2016.

The international commission firmly condemns the campaign of repression, unleashed by the Turkish authorities after the unsuccessful attempt at a military coup on 15-16 July, and directed against workers in the education system, among others. Under the contrived pretext of dealing with accomplices of the coup, the regime of Recep Tayyip Erdogan began a large-scale “purge”, with the aim of crushing civil opposition to authoritarianism and the islamisation of Turkey. More than 15,000 employees of state educational institutions and more than 20,000 teachers in private schools have been dismissed, and 1577 university Deans removed. This amounts to a blow struck by the authorities against those social and professional groups who, in their majority, favour Turkey’s progress in a democratic and secular direction. We express our support for teachers and university lecturers in Turkey and demand from the Turkish authorities that they immediately end this repressive policy, and respect fully the labour and civil rights of employees in education and in other sectors. We call on international intergovernmental organisations, federations of trade unions and structures of global civil society to put the greatest possible pressure on the Erdogan regime, to defend our Turkish colleagues from this unjust persecution.

 22 July 2016.

A protest action called the “Deep Cleaning of the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Russian Federation” was held in Moscow on the 9th of July. It was organized by the Inter-Regional Trade Union of the Higher-Education Teaching Personnel «University Solidarity» and the Moscow branch of the «Rainbow Association» gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) organization. There were approximately fifty trade union and LGBT activists at the Petrovsky Gates protesting against the persecution of the teachers at the Northern (Arctic) Federal University (NArFU, Arkhangelsk, Russia), conducted by the Prosecution Office and the Federal Security Service of Russia, for the teachers’ social activity and open support of LGBT people.
The organizers planned to hold the action in front of the building of the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Russian Federation, but the authorities banned it. The picket was then organized further down the street.
The main demand of the protestors was that the Prosecution Office cease its illegal interference of the into the labor-management relations on the side of boss. The participants of the action held up placards that read: “The Prosecution Office must not provoke, but prevent delinquency”, “Say NO to the prosecutor’s persecution of the NArFU professors for outspoken support for the LGBT-community”, “Want to work – keep quiet”, “Reinstate Assistant Professor Oleg Klyuenkov!”, “End repressions against Senior Research Fellow Olga Pospelova,”, “Labor rights are for everyone” and so on.
During the picket passers-by were asked to take part in an activity called «Deep Cleaning of the Prosecutor General’s Office». The passerbys could help to scrub a three foot by three foot model of the cover page of the law “On the Prosecution Office” that had been smeared with grime. The protesters asserted that the first paragraph of the Federal Law has been infringed by the Arkhangelsk Local Prosecution Office, because of its actions in bringing disciplinary charges against the teachers of NArFU and the members of the «University Solidarity» Trade Union.
The protesters noted that, due to the Prosecutor’s recommendations, the assistant professor Oleg Klyuenkov was dismissed from his job and the senior research fellow Olga Pospelova got a severe reprimand. The protesters further asserted that the administration of NArFU doesn’t try to conceal that law enforcement agencies interfere with labor relations in order to monitor the activity of the LGBT organization “Racurs,” the most members of which are university professors. For example, the assistant professor Tatiana Vinnichenko was forced to abandon any kind of social activity in order to continue activity at the University. These employees of the University say they won’t give up and they have already appealed in court.
“We are sure that our action on the July 9 caused the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Russian Federation to pay attention to the abusive actions of their colleagues in Arkhangelsk and the injustice done to the academic staff,” says Pavel Kudyukin, Co-Chairperson of the «University Solidarity» Trade Union. “These are the professors dismissed during the last 4 months because of their social activity: Mr. Zubov, a professor of the MGIMO-University; Miss Tchebakova, a assistant professor of the N. Pirogov’s Russian National Research Medical University; and Mr. Klyuenkov, a assistant professor of the Northern (Arctic) Federal University, and Mr. Yasaveev, a assistant professor of the Kazan University. Unfortunately, the list might be growing. We cannot ignore the repressions instigated by the Prosecutor’s Office in Arkhangelsk. Otherwise any teacher can become victim.”
The leaders of the LGBT community are of the same opinion. Dmitry Svetly, the coordinator of the «Rainbow Association», commented on the situation, “Labor discrimination because of sexual orientation, gender identity, and LGBT activism is a common thing, especially in the sphere of education. We can resist it only if we are ready to resist and support each other. That was the reason why we joined the campaign organized by the “University Solidarity” Trade Union. We are ready to act promptly if the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Russian fails to rein in its Arkhangelsk department.”
Last week approximately one hundred trade unions and social organizations sent letters of protest to the Rector of NArFU Elena Kudryashova. In these letters they underline their readiness to support actions against the persecution of the University professors. The Moscow picket on July 9 was the third in a row of similar actions. On the same day activists in Orel were protesting in support of the lecturer Klyuenkov. A few days’ earlier there was an action against the persecution of NArFU teachers in Murmansk.
For further information on the situation at NArFU and on other actions apply to:
+7 916 180 13 28 — Pavel Kudyukin (Co-Chairman of the «University Solidarity» Trade Union);
+7 967 137 02 18 — Dmitry Svetly (the Coordinator of the «Rainbow Association» Moscow LGBT organization).