T H E U K R A IN IA N
W EEKLY
SUN DAY. JULY 30. 1989
N o. 3 1
A
G L IM P S EO f S O V IE TR E A L IT Y
R e p o rt o n th e c o a l m in e rs ' s trik e
fro m
th e U k ra in ia n
H e ls in k i U n io n
b y K a th le e n M ih a lis k o
M U N IC H
-
W hen TA SS first an\u00ad
n o u n c e d o n J u ly 17 th a t c o a l m in e rs in
M a k iy iv k a
in
th e
D onbas
re g io n
o f
U k ra in e
h a d g o n e o n s trik e a n d w e re
m aking a num ber of dem ands concern\u00ad
in g p a y , p e n s io n rig h ts a n d s o fo rth , it
quoted a striker as saying that a repre\u00ad
s e n ta tiv e
o f
th e
U k ra in ia n
H e ls in k i
U n io n h a d c o m e fro m
Lviv to m eddle in
the affairs of the w orkers and to distri\u00ad
b u te " p r o v o c a tiv e " le a fle ts .
T h is
a s s e rtio n
s tr u c k
a
d is c o rd a n t
n o te in th e S o v ie t m e d ia 's s y m p a th e tic
c o v e ra g e o f th e c o a l m in e r s trik e s th a t
h a d
begun in K uzbas. The charge that
a n o u ts id e r w a s a tte m p tin g to in c ite th e
D o n b a s m in e rs se e m e d , a t th e tim e , to
h a v e o rig in a te d
w ith the
U k ra in ia n
a u th o ritie s , w h o
h a v e
lo n g
sought to
d e fa m e th e U k ra in ia n H e ls in k i U n io n .
A
M oscow -based
m em ber of the
U H U
c o n ta c te d R a d io L ib e rty 's U k ra i\u00ad
n ia n
S e rv ic e to p ro v id e re p o rts o n th e
s itu a tio n
in
th e
D o n e ts
B asin
a n d
in
C h e r v o n o h r a d , w h e re a ll1 2 o f th e c ity 's
m ines are said to have stopped w ork.
T he
s o u rc e , A n a to liy
D otsenko,
e m p h a s iz e d th a t a lth o u g h
U H U
re p re \u00ad
s e n ta tiv e s in D o n e ts k e a n d
D n ip ro p e -
tro v sk e
a re
try in g
t o
k e e p
in fo rm ed
a b o u t th e s trik e s , th e y a re n o t p la y in g
a n y ro le in th e e v e n ts th a t h a v e le d to
strik es a t th e m ajo rity of th e 120 m ines
in th e D o n e ts k e O b la s t. M r. D o ts e n k o
a ls o
m ade
in fo rm a tio n
a v a ila b le
o n
h o w
o ffic ia ls
in
D onetske
h a v e
b e e n
re a c tin g to th e la b o r u n re s t.
T h e D o n b a s m in e rs h a v e p u t fo rth a
lis t
o f
3 9
dem ands
that are
v irtu a lly
id e n tic a l to th o s e o f th e ir fe llo w m in e rs
i n
th e K u z n e ts k
re g io n
of Siberia's
K em erovo
O blast. These
in c lu d e
p a y
in c re a s e s
fo r
e v e n in g
a n d
n ig h t
s h if t
w orkers, m ore
p a id
v a c a tio n
d a y s ,
b e tte r c o m p e n s a tio n
fo r w o rk ers w ith
illnesses endem ic to coal m iners, a 5 0
p e rc e n t re d u c tio n
of the apparat, and
other social and econom ic dem ands.
The strikers have also called for the
D onbas
re g io n
t o
sw itc h
t o
re g io n a l
s e lf-fin a n c in g
(khozraschet) and for the
liq u id a tio n o f c o o p e ra tiv e s th a t d e a l in
m e d ic in e s
a n d
fo o d .
T h e y
w ant
th e
strike to be paid for out of
tra d e u n io n
fu n d s a s
w e ll a s a s s u r a n c e s
th a t
n o
r e p r i s a l s
w ill be
ta k e n
a g a in s t
th e
s tr ik e r s .
The last of their dem ands concerns
A fghan
v e te ra n s -
th e m in e rs w o u ld
lik e
h a n d ic a p p e d
v e te ra n s
t o
re c e iv e
p e n s io n s o f u p to 3 0 0 ru b le s fro m
th e
funds of the M inistry of D efense.
The strikers w ere said to be conduct\u00ad
in g th e m s e lv e s v e ry c a re fu lly in o r d e r to
a v o id
p ro v o c a tio n s a n d
in c id e n ts w ith
th e m a n y p o lic e m e n w h o h a v e fille d u p
th e m in e r s 'to w n .B y J u ly1 9 , a c c o rd in g
to th e U H U , p ro v o c a tio n s h a d a lre a d y
b e e n
s ta g e d .
G ro u p s
o f
y o u th s
w ere
s e e n
c a rry in g
U k ra in e 's
h is to ric
t r i \u00ad
dent (tryzub) symbol in
to w n s in th e
D onbas
re g io n ,
a n
a c tio n
th a t
lo c a l
in fo rm a l g ro u p s , d e n y in g th a t th e y
possessed any such sym bols, ascribed to
th e P o p u la r M o v e m e n t o f U k ra in e fo r
Perebudova (Rukh).
M r. Dotsenko's
sources in the area
m a in ta in th a t th e trid e n t's
a p p e a ra n c e
was engineered
b y
th e
a u th o ritie s
in
o rd e r to p ro v o k e th e R u k h , G ro u p s of
drunks w ere also trying to start fights
w ith th e p o lic e .
A s a ru le , th e p ro v o c a tio n s w e re
b e in gle d b y p e o p le w h o w e re u n k n o w n
,- J t blocal residents. T he m in ers decided to
take the m aintenance of law and order
in to
th e ir
ow n
h a n d s , in
som e
c a s e s
p ro h ib itin g th e sa le o f a lc o h o l.
T he
a u th o ritie s
b e g a n
t o
c irc u la te
rum ors that m em bers of the O rganiza\u00ad
tio n
o f
U k ra in ia n
N a tio n a lis ts
h a d
arrived from
the w estern U krainian city
o f L v iv . M r. D o ts e n k o s tro n g ly d e n ie s
th a t a n y o n e c a m e fro m
L v iv , w h ic h is
h e ld
t o
be a
c e n te r
o f
n a tio n a lis t
a c tiv ity , to a g ita te in th e D o n b a s .
M e m b e rs o f th e U k ra in ia n
H e ls in k i
U n io n
in
th e
to w n s
o f
Y e n a k iy e v o ,
K om unarske
a n d
D onetske
were pre\u00ad
s e n t
am ong
th e
s tr ik e r s
in
o rd e r
t o
b e c o m e a c q u a in te d w ith th e ir d e m a n d s
a n d
p a s s e d
o u t
c o p ie s
of the
U k rai\u00ad
n ia n -la n g u a g e
sam vydav
new spaper
H o lo s
V id ro d z h e n n ia
(V o ice
o f
R e\u00ad
b irth ).
I n
th e
h e a v ily
R u ssified
D onbas
re g io n , m a te ria l in th e U k ra in ia n
la n \u00ad
guage can quickly raise suspicions that
n a tio n a lis ts
a re
a fo o t.
Y e t,
s a y s
th e
U k ra in ia n
H e ls in k i U n io n , n e ith e r th e
U H U
n o r th e R u k h h a v e ta k e n p a r t in
any of the m iners' m eetings.
T he
U H U
n o te s
w ith
dism ay
th\u0434 t
A n a to liy
S a u n in , a
m em ber of the
U SSR
Suprem e
S o v ie t
w ho
is w ell-
r e g a r d e d
i n
th e
c ity
h e
r e p r e s e n ts ,
D o n e ts k e , b e lie v e d th e
fa b ric a tio n s
a g a in s t th e
U H U
a n d , a t th e J u ly
1 9
s e s s io n
o f
th e
Suprem e
S o v ie t, c o n \u00ad
dem ned
th e
hum an
rig h ts
o rg a n iz a \u00ad
tio n 's a lle g e d ro le in th e D o n b a s s trik e s .
I n
M r.
D o ts e n k o 's
o p in io n , th is
illu s tra te s th e le n g th s to w h ic h
D o n e t\u00ad
ske officials have gone to besm irch the
U H U
d u rin g th e la b o r u n re s t.
M r.
D otsenko
re p o rte d
"w ith
c e r\u00ad
ta in ty " th a t tra n s p o rta tio n
workers in
D o n e ts k e a tte m p te d
t o
s tr ik e
in sym \u00ad
p a th y
w ith
the coal m iners, but were
p re v e n te d
fro m
d o in g
so. The
s tr ik e
co m m ittee
in
D onetske
is s u r r o u n d e d
b y p o lic e , a n d it is th e re fo re im p o s s ib le
to a p p ro a c h th e c o m m itte e m e m b e rs .
O n July 20 it w as learned that m ine
o ffic ia ls
w e re n o t a llo w in g
s trik in g
m in ers to get from
their dressing room s
t o
th e
p la c e s
a ro u n d
th e
c o a l
fie ld s
w here
th e y
h a v e
b e e n
h o ld in g
m e e t\u00ad
in g s .
T h ro u g h o u t th e s trik e th e re h a s b e e n
ta lk in D o n e ts k e o f c re a tin g a n in d e p e n \u00ad
d e n t tra d e u n io n o f m iners. A t th is p o in t
it is not certain
w h e th e r th e
id e a
h a s
a c tu a lly ta k e n th e fo rm
of a dem and.
In th e c itie s o f C h e rv o n o h ra d
(L v iv
O b la s t) a n d
P a v lo h ra d
(D n ip ro p e tro v -
sk e
O b last),
how ever,
s t r i k e r s
a re
in d e e d
c a llin g fo r a u n io n th a t w o u ld
h a v e
th e
nam e
" S o lid a rity "
a n d
a re
g iv in g v o ic e to d e m a n d s o f a p o litic a l
nature (see sidebar).
T h e re p u b lic a n le a d e rs h ip o f U k ra in e
has been conspicuously silent through\u00ad
o u t th e
coal m iners' strike. Their ab\u00ad
sence from
the scene of the strikes has
been com m ented on by both the U krai\u00ad
n ia n
H e ls in k i
U n io n
a n d
th e
S o v ie t
news m edia.
I n
a
b ro a d c a s t
o n
J u ly
19, R adio
M oscow
n o te d d is a p p ro v in g ly th a t th e
U krainian governm ent had not sought
to n e g o tia te w ith th e m in e rs a n d e v e n
m o re d is tu rb in g ly , n o re p re s e n ta tiv e s qf
th e re p u b lic a n c o u n c il o f tra d e u n io n s
had taken partinth e resolution of issues
b e in g
r a is e d
b y
th e
m iners.
R a d io
M oscow said that this w as all the m ore
su rp risin g
in view
of the fact that the
s t r i k e r s
w ere
b e g in n in g
" to
lo o k
a t
th in g s m o re
re a lis tic a lly " a n d
w ere
c o m in g to u n d e rs ta n d th a t c o n tin u a n c e
(Continued on page 15)
F O R T H E R E C O R D : D o n e ts k e le a fle t
L O N D O N - T h e U krainian P ress
A gency has received from
its W arsaw
re p re s e n ta tiv e th e fo llo w in g c o p y o f
a leaflet circulated
by the
u n o ffic ia l
U k ra in ia n
N a tio n a l
D em ocratic
League, a
g ro u p
th a t
su p p o rts
a n
in d e p e n d e n t U k ra in e , W e s te rn -s ty le
m u lti-p arty
s y s te m
a n d
fre e
tra d e
u n io n s .
A
fu ll
tra n s la tio n
o f
th e
le a fle t
fo llo w s.
J
i t ^
^
T o th e M in e rs o f th e D o n e ts R e g io n !
R espected
M in in g C o m m u n ity !
The strike that you began m sup\u00ad
p o r t o f th e K u z b a s m in e rsi s a s a in tly
a n d
n o b le a ffa ir. A n d in th is a c tio n
a ll h o n e s t a n d c o n s c ie n tio u s c itiz e n s
in U kraine support you.
You stand
in defense
n o t o n ly o f
your ow n rights, not only in defense
o f y o u r o w n c o m fo rts a n d p riv ile g e s .
Y o u r a c tio n s a re a n e x a m p le tou s a ll
o f
h o w
it is n e c e s s a r y
t o
to g e th e r
overcom e
th e
fe a r
of the
S ta lin is t-
B re z h n e v ite
era, to
d e fe n d
s o c ia l
ju s tic e , w h ic h
h a s
b e e n
b ru ta lly
v io la te d
fo r
o v e r
7 0
y e a rs
b y
th e
bolshevik regim e. It is enough to say,
th a t in th e d e v e lo p e d c o u n trie s o f th e
W est a w orker receives in paym ent 85
p e rc e n t
o f
h is
e a rn e d
(p ro d u c tiv e )
v a lu e , b u t in th e S o v ie t e m p ire o n ly
10 percent! A t our and your cost the
a p p a ra tu s
of the party-state regim e
e n r ic h e s its e lf\u2014
a tru e class of m afia
e x p lo ite rs .
M iners! Do
not expect that the
re p u b lic 's p a rty h ie ra rc h y w ill sa tisfy
y o u r ju s t a n d la w fu l d e m a n d s . A ls o
d o n o t e x p e c t t h a t th e s e d e m a n d s w ill
b e
s a tis fie d
b y
o u r
" re s tru c tu re d "
le a d e rs -
Gorbachev and Ryzhkov.
A fte r a ll, th e y h a v e n o t y e t b e e n a b le
to satisfy
th e lis t o f d e m a n d s o f th e
K uzbas
m ines. On
th e
c o n tra ry ,
G orbachev m ade a generous gesture
in
E u ro p e , p ro p o sin g
t o
th e
W est
th a t it c o v e r th e d e b ts o f d e v e lo p in g
c o u n trie s
a t
th e
c o s t
o f
o u r
ow n
c o u n tr y . A n d le t's n o t a llo w
G orba\u00ad
c h e v
t o
m ake
a s s u r a n c e s
a t
th e
session of the Suprem e Soviet of the
U SSR
about his understanding and
support for your dem ands. D o not
b e lie v e th e s e w o r d s ! B o ls h e v ik
le a \u00ad
d e rs h a v e m a d e p ro m is e s to m a in ta in
th e m s e lv e s in p o w e r a n d
have been
ready to agreed to any dem and, to go
a n d
u n d e rta k e
a n y
crim e. This
is
p ro v e d
b y e v e n ts in N o v o c h e r k a s k ,
K arabakh
a n d
Tbilisi. O nly
w hen
c o n c re te a c tio n s a re
u n d e r ta k e n ,
w hen concrete laws are adopted by
th e S u p re m e S o v ie t, o r a m e n d m e n ts
a re a p p ro v e d to th e c o n s titu tio n w ill
we be able to speak about the first
s te p s to w a rd v ic to ry .
B ro th ers!
R aise
n o t
o n ly
s o c io -
e c o n o m ic ,
b u t
a ls o
p o litic a l d e \u00ad
m ands! T ransform
y o u r s trik e in to a
s tru g g le
w ith
th e
e x p lo ite rs
-
th e
party-state hierarchy! D em and eco\u00ad
n o m ic
a n d
p o litic a l re p u b lic a n
so \u00ad
v e re ig n ty fo r U k ra in e , th e in tro d u c \u00ad
tio n
of a m ulti-party
d e m o c ra tic
s y s te m
o f p e o p le 's
g o v e rn m e n t!
W ith o u t
p o litic a l
fre e d o m
th e re
cannot be econom ic freedom . O n no
account disband
s p o n ta n e o u s ly
fo rm ed
s t r i k e
c o m m itte e s
-
th e
a u th e n tic w o r k e r s ' g o v e rn in g c irc le s
th a t th e p a rty m a fia h a s to ta k e in to
a c c o u n t. E s ta b lis h
y o u r o w n in d e \u00ad
p e n d e n t
u n io n s , fre e
of party
c o n \u00ad
tro l,
d e m a n d a c o m p le te c h a n g e in
the structure of the apparatus of local
e x e c u tiv e c o m m itte e s . S e n d y o u r
ow n
re p re s e n ta tiv e s
t o
th e
c o u n c ils a n d
e x e c u tiv e c o m m itte e s .
M in e r s ! D o n o t a llo w
th e b o ls h e \u00ad
v ik s , as they have before, to deceive
you w ith fancy prom ises. N ot tom or\u00ad
row , but today, renew
the dem ocra\u00ad
tic s o c ie ty a n d s o c ia l ju s tic e th a t h a v e
b e e n v io la te d b y th e b o ls h e v ik s .
S tru g g le a n d y o u w ill o v e rc o m e ,
G o d W ill H e lp Y o u !
U k ra in ia n
N a tio n a l
D em ocratic L eague
In d e p e n d e n t s tu d e n t g ro u p fo rm e d in L v iv
L O N D O N
-
A c c o rd in g to th e J u n e
is s u e
(N o . 5 )
o f
th e
jo u rn a l
P o s tu p ,
p u b lis h e d b y th e L e v S o c ie ty inL v iv , a n
in d e p e n d e n t s tu d e n t
b ro th e rh o o d
h a s
been founded
in Lviv by students from
the Lviv State University and the Lviv
P o ly te c h n ic a l In s titu te .
The goals of the brotherhood
are as
fo llo w s:
9
to defend
the interests of students
e v e ry w h e re u s in g a ll le g a l m e a n s a t th e ir
d is p o s itio n ;
9
t o
raise the social aw areness and
national consciousness
of Lviv stu\u00ad
d e n ts , to tak e p art in th e p o litical life of
th e c ity ;
^
t o
ta k e
m easures
t o
r a i s e
th e
c u ltu ra l le v e l o f s tu d e n ts , fu rth e r th e ir
studies, form ulate
a d e m o c ra tic w o rld
v ie w
a m o n g th e m .
N e w s a b o u t th e s tu d e n t o rg a n iz a tio n
was reported
by the
L o n d o n - b a s e d
U krainian Press A gency.
U k ra in ia n W e e H i
FOUNDED 1933
A n
E n g lis h -la n g u a g e
U k r a in ia n
n e w s p a p e r
p u b lis h e d
b y
th e
U k r a in ia n
N a tio n a l
A s s o c ia tio n
In c ., a n o n - p r o fit a s s o c ia tio n , a t 3 0 M o n tg o m e ry S t., J e rs e y C ity , N .J .
0 7 3 0 2 .
S e c o n d -c la s s p o s ta g e p a id a t J e rs e y C ity , N .J . 0 7 3 0 2 .
(IS S N -
0 2 7 3 -9 3 4 8 )
Y e a rly s u b s c n p tio n ra te : ( 2 0 ; fo r U N A m e m b e rs -
(1 0 .
A ls o p u b lis h e d b y th e U N A : S v o b o d a , a U k ra in ia n -la n g u a g e d a ily n e w s p a p e r.
T h e V IT e e k ly a n d S v o b o d a :
(2 0 1 ) 4 3 4 -0 2 3 7 . -0 8 0 7 , -3 0 3 6
U N A :
(2 0 1 )4 5 1 - 2 2 0 0
P o s tm a s te r, s e n d a d d re s s
changes to :
T h e U k r a in ia n W e e k ly
P .O . B o x
346
J e rs e y C ity , N .J . 0 7 3 0 3
E d ito r: R o m a
H adzew ycz
A s s o c ia te E d ito rs : M a r ta
ifo io m a y e ts
C h ry s ty n a
L a p y c lia lt
T lie U ltra in ia n W e e lcly, J u ly 3 0 ,1 9 8 9 , N o . 3 1 , V o l. L V II
C o p y rig h t 1 9 8 9
b y T h e U k r a in ia n
W e e k ly
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