Demand Chornobyl nuclear workers
By Nina SOTNYK, Inna ZOLOTUKHINA, The Day
Last Wednesday a tent town appeared on the central square of Slavutych.
Numerous posters read, "Threat to Nuclear Power Station's Safety is a Threat
to Ukraine's National Security," "We Are Ruled by Clerks and Criminals,
Not Government," and "President, Where Is Your Guarantee of the Constitution?"
Chornobyl nuclear power plant staff has received no pay at all this
year and the state also owes them two and a half months wages and salaries
from 1998. After their autumnal picketing the Cabinet promised to pay up
before January 1, 1999.
"Ukraine's energy market is practically uncontrolled," says Yevhen Kozlov,
acting chairman of the plant labor union (well, the market is controlled,
but not for the plant people's benefit - Ed.). The regional power
companies collect money from consumers and use it for their needs, so we
get nothing in the end."
The situation in the nuclear power industry remains utterly confused.
No one knows exactly who is responsible for nuclear safety in Ukraine.
The Enerhoatom national company, after Nur Nihmatulin was fired, remains
headless. Volodymyr Horbulin, secretary of the National Security and Defense
Council, is off on vacation, and the Energy Industry Minister's portfolio
has remained unclaimed for over two weeks.
"This strike of nuclear workers may have totally unpredictable consequences,"
The Day was told by Vitaly Tovstonohov, head of a Chornobyl plant
subdivision. "Lowering output capacity will result in a breakdown, and
even worse so, in casualties. Ukrainian nuclear workers are demanding not
only wages from the government. They are just as interested in debts being
paid to the nuclear power stations because without this it is impossible
to maintain safe operation of the entire nation's nuclear power grid. But
I don't believe that this strike will change anything in the current situation.
Such issues can be resolved only at the government level. Unfortunately,
if the Chornobyl personnel make up their minds to join the strike I won't
be able stop them."
If their demands are not satisfied we will have to shorten the period
of rest between operating shifts, but if the situation does not change
in several days the operating personnel will give up their days off until
the strike begins.
Serhiy Parashyn, former manager of the Chernobyl facility, thinks, "It
is absolutely clear that if the operating personnel refuses rest, people
from the nuclear safety control authority will not be able to work. And
what happens then? Hence, I am strongly opposed to all those people wearing
white coats striking on city streets. Nuclear workers have no right to
think about themselves only and blackmail the rest of society."
The issue of a general strike is to be discussed by nuclear workers
today. According to the Central Committee of the Nuclear Power and Industrial
Trade Unions, this strike will support the Power Industry and Electrical
Engineering Union. Nuclear power workers also do not rule out the possibility
of tent town hunger strikes as part of the protest action.







