Workers of a key section of the M-12 highway went on strike due to non-payment of wages
At one of Russia’s most sizable state construction projects, laborers have ceased receiving compensation
Builders employed on a crucial portion of the M-12 highway, connecting Kazan and Yekaterinburg, initiated a work stoppage due to unpaid earnings.
According to personnel from the firms «RSK» and «Stroymekhanizatsiya», employees working on the Durtyuli — Achit segment experienced initial delays in salary disbursement starting in June, followed by a complete cessation of payments in September. Concurrently, approximately 600 out of 1,000 workers have already resigned, while those remaining are unable to return home owing to a deficiency of funds for travel costs. Furthermore, the utility services in the common areas are intermittently being shut off.
The State Labor Inspection of Bashkortostan declared an inquiry following the workers’ complaint, and the Investigative Committee launched a legal proceeding under Part 2 of Article 145.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (total wage arrears exceeding two months). Simultaneously, the project client — State company «Avtodor» — asserts that it has fulfilled its financial commitments, but the allocated funds have not been transmitted to the implementing contractor.
This incident represents another instance of labor action and associated legal proceedings transpiring during the highway’s construction. Previously, employees initiated a strike in the Nizhny Novgorod region as a result of unpaid remuneration, leading to the commencement of a criminal inquiry in Tatarstan.
The M-12 highway is characterized as a venture under the direct oversight of Russian President Vladimir Putin. He actively inaugurates new sections of the thoroughfare, and in 2022, he personally drove a KamAZ truck along a segment of it. The Dyurtyuli — Achit site is being constructed from the ground up, involving three separate contractors, each accountable for a specific area within their respective regions — Bashkortostan, Perm Territory, and Sverdlovsk Region.
