Norilsk Nickel trade unions start hunger strike

Today, 25 leaders of trade unions of Norilsk Nickel's Polar Division have started a termless hunger strike, chairman of trade unions of the division Valery Melnikov told RBC. According to him, the decision was made today after a meeting of the conciliation commission. The main demand of trade unions is to increase salaries by 14 percent and to provide additional paid vacations.

The strike is to last at least for a week. Further, it is planned to get the most part of the staff involved in the hunger strike, if "the top management of Norilsk Nickel continues postponing settling urgent issues".

Head of the company's human resources department Anatoly Kharlamov stated to RBC that "the trade unions' nerves just began to give in after the activities of the conciliation commission were completed". In his opinion, the leadership of Norilsk Nickel does not have to react to the action of trade union officials, who are not the company's employees. He specified that "none of the employees of the company are participating in the hunger strike".

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