The Communists have signed up for delivery

Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation Sergey Obukhov met on Tuesday in the State Duma with Yandex.Food couriers to discuss the results of their recent strike and further joint actions. Some of the guests represented not only the courier community, but also the unregistered Revolutionary Workers’ Party. Mr. Obukhov promised that the Communists would promote the protection of the labor rights of delivery service employees, including at the legislative level, as well as the release from custody of the leader of the Kurier trade union, Kirill Ukraintsev. And the couriers warned that if their demands were not met, they were ready to move on to “tougher” actions.

On December 20, the Kurier trade union announced the start of a five-day strike (see “Kommersant” of December 20). The organizing committee said that in Moscow more than 600 delivery service workers may not come to work, demanding a refund of payment of 110 rubles. per order instead of the current 70 rubles, to revise the “hard system of fines”, introduce the “practice of concluding labor contracts” and reduce the delivery zone to 2 km for foot couriers. The press service of Yandex.Food claimed that the service was operating normally, there were no complaints from couriers to the company, and their earnings for this year increased by an average of 30%. In addition, company representatives expressed doubt that “people who speak out and are dissatisfied with the conditions cooperate with Yandex.Food.”

On December 27, deputy Sergei Obukhov met with couriers in the hall next to the office of the head of the Duma faction of the Communist Party, chairman of the Central Committee of the party, Gennady Zyuganov. Just before the arrival of the couriers, a group of people of about 60 years old came to the same hall for an excursion with a young guide, who briefly spoke about the ideology of the communists, and at the same time reminded the excursionists how good they lived in the Soviet Union.

Mr. Obukhov did not delve into the story, but immediately informed the couriers that he had already sent a request to the Yandex.Food management and the Federal Labor Service, and later plans to “connect” the Commissioner for Human Rights in the Russian Federation, Tatyana Moskalkova. “The violation of human rights here is the most direct,” the deputy noted. “There is an unequivocal position of the Constitutional Court: every citizen has the right to choose the form of legal mediation of his labor activity, including concluding an employment contract, acquiring the status of an individual entrepreneur or carrying out his activities on the basis of self-organization (definition COP dated February 7, 2008 No. 226-O-O.— “b”). On the example of the work of couriers, we see a blatant disregard for the requirements of the Constitutional Court. They do not have the opportunity to switch to an employment relationship. It is more convenient for Yandex.Food if they are self-employed. Workers lose social insurance, pensions. But the state also loses revenues that the employer must pay.”

Sergey Obukhov also said that even before the start of the strike, he talked with the management of Yandex.Food, who admitted that it was more convenient for him to work with the self-employed than to draw up employment contracts. To correct this situation, it is necessary to make amendments to the legislation, and the communist hopes that the government will prepare the corresponding bill, where “there are talks about this topic.” According to Mr. Obukhov, the strike was noticed by his “colleagues from other factions”, who at that time complained that they could not order delivery.

Then the couriers themselves spoke out, among whom were political activists represented by members of the unregistered Revolutionary Workers’ Party (RRP): it often criticizes the Communist Party, but supports it in elections and protests. Vladislav Popov, a member of the RRP and the Workers’ Union of Couriers, a welder by profession, dispelled the myth that only migrants work in the delivery service. According to him, many Russians also work in this capacity – students or those who have other jobs. According to Mr. Popov, if the practice of drawing up labor contracts is introduced, “budget revenues will be colossal.”

Chairman of the Workers’ Union of Couriers Nurgazy Alibekov did not argue with the myth about migrants, but he said that the action on December 20-25 was only “the first, soft stage of the strike.” If the couriers’ demands are not met, they plan to carry out two more stages, the last of which, according to Mr. Alibekov, will be the toughest: delivery service workers “will pick up orders, but not deliver them.” “We want normal, decent pay and a normal life,” the activist stressed.

Following the meeting, Sergei Obukhov wrote on his Telegram channel that the communists see their task as “launching a discussion at the highest level about revising the widespread practice of employment without employment contracts.” In addition, on behalf of the Communist Party, he promised to facilitate the release from custody of the leader of the Kurier trade union, Kirill Ukraintsev. Let us recall that he was detained by the investigating authorities in April on charges of repeated violation of the procedure for holding rallies (Article 212.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). According to the investigation, Mr. Ukraintsev “published online appeals” to couriers and taxi drivers to “take part in protests” against violations of their labor rights, including long salary delays.

Ksenia Veretennikova