Russian Miners Again Block Rail Line for Back Pay

Unpaid Russian miners blocked the strategic Trans-Siberian railway line for three hours on Friday before being removed by police, a union official said.

“They blocked the railroad but were forced by Interior Ministry forces to reopen it again,” said Nikolai Shtyrkov, first deputy chairman of the Russian Independent Coal Miners’ Union.

“There were no clashes,” said Shtyrkov, who added the action lasted about three hours and followed two days of protests alongside the line.

He said government representatives were on their way to hold talks with the miners, who complain that the government has not fulfilled promises made after thousands of miners last month blocked several major railway lines, bringing substantial financial losses to many Russian firms.

Prime Minister Sergei V. Kiriyenko said Friday that the government had fulfilled pledges to pay back wages, although he said the miners were still suffering. A day earlier, Russia’s prosecutor general said the government had fulfilled only 65% of what it had pledged.