The first stone is cast

On May 15, 2010, for the first time in the history of Putin's Russia, the workers resisted the goverment. Stones were thrown from the railway fill at the riot police who arrived to disperse the demonstrators in Mezhdurechensk. The engagement lasted for around two hours. An attempt to seize the railway was thwarted by the police.

Despair

The bodies of 66 victims were recovered, while the fate of another 24 remains unknown. The rescue workers were forced to cease the search operation and flood the mine because of the fires. The people of Mezhdurechensk are grieving over the loss of their loved ones, colleagues and mere acquaintances.

The government did not even take the trouble of announcing a national mourning. Of course, people, who died at working time, are consumables of the State, as opposed to those burned alive in a pub in Perm.

Moreover, official mass media as hard as they can inculcates an allegation that it all is a workers' fault: they break safety measures in pursuit of making fast money.

Authorities

There would be no clashes if governor Aman Tuleyev and chiefs of lesser ranks had descended on the commons and met with the workers. However, whole local authority from owners and managers to the governor adopted different position: started cowardly covering their privates.

In result, perhaps, rails on the railway crossing were the only place, where workers could express anxiety.

The more craven and lying were Aman Tuleyev's statement the next day: "The crowd were stirred up by provokers - from 28 arrested only two were real miners. For example, the arrested Anton Gerasimov, who represented an employee of "Raspadskaya" mine, actually just came out of prison and is on the federal investigation, leader of the criminal gang." Because indeed about 200 people went out on the railroad. Of course not all of them but most were mine workers.

Masters

In the heat of the broad discussion of the Mezhdurechensk catastrophe several numbers were mentioned. If we believe them, then the following takes place. "Raspadskaya" mine is owned by, in fact, one person. Directly and through off-shore companies. Moreover, more than 60% of gain of coal sale it taken by him and his partners. And only 30 plus a few more - to all workers together. Interesting, for what merits one person could deserve that piece of a pie?

And even that small part, which rests on the hands of a common worker, is still a subject to claims. Many miners were tied by credits taken before the crisis. If we consider note rates on these mortgages and consider that wages were reduced by 40% under pretence of global crisis, we may imagine, what kind of a choice workers had.

If we add that administration threatened with inviting Chinese workers and that "Raspadskaya" is in fact a town-forming enterprise and there are no other jobs, then we may say that owner's position is more attractive than of Nicholas II in his best, pre-revolutionary years. Or even... of Alexander II - before the abolition of serfdom.

Politicoes

As it goes last years, vast amount of politicoes tries to gain political capital on people's woes. Putin - putting the safety of mining operations in order. Opposition, hardly recalling the important role of miners movement in overthrowing the Communist regime and willing jump at the opportunity at any cost. Communists, traditionally defending - in words only - working masses.

The end justifies the means. Internet is full of statements in the name of miners, about which miners themselves, we suspect, learn from the same Internet.

Unfortunately, even if the power is changed, the new president comes, and new State Duma assembles - nature abhors a vacuum. And even if the owners of "Raspadskaya" give place to others - nothing will change. Because for workers negotiating with proprietors is like for sheep negotiating with wolves.

Even more wistful prospect awaits Mezhdurechensk, if the Reds will "overpower". Because Communist power - with all its dictatorship of the proletariat in words and NKVD in deeds - is even bigger exploiter. And as per freedom of speech, meetings and assembies - they wouldn't cover with shields, they would open fire straight away. There's more than enough of historical examples.

Solution

Unfortunately, nobody had recently suggested that the mine must be owned by miners themselves, by worker collective. The more so the moment for such transfer is downright proper: equipment is destroyed by explosion, and the land, the mineral wealth is owned by people themselves, not the owner's of a company. And the price for public corporation "Raspadskaya" without mineral resources equals nothing. Or even negative value - because ////тьфу ты ё!!!///

No doubt that these future profits, which the working collective of the mine could receive, would be sufficient for all the mechanical advance, safety measures, deserved wages and aid for the victims of the tragedy. Would be, if it was possible not to get kickbacks trough off-shores and ///блин, сложно///

And town's administration, which couldn't, or simply didn't dare, to explain themselves to the workers, is unnecessary too. It would be possible to replace it by some form of local self-management.

Sure, who wants to lose vast sums of money, who wants to let people live by rights? Nobody. But first stone is thrown.