Russian pensioners put pressure on Putin

ON 12 February, nearly 300 demonstrations took place in 77 regions
across Russia. Most were called by political alliances of various
parties especially, but not only, on the left. Red flags were much in
evidence.

Clare Doyle

They aimed to keep up pressure on the Putin government following the
wave of mass protests by pensioners and others against the
‘monetisation’ (reduction) of their benefits.

A few other demonstrations were organised simultaneously by
government forces, bringing well-dressed men and women onto the streets
to express their confidence in Putin’s policies. (Transport, food and TV
coverage guaranteed!).

The Putin government’s popularity has plummeted, particularly over
the treatment of the pensioners, in the context of an expanding economy
and massive oil revenues.

Friends of mine on pensions or invalidity benefits told me they had
to laugh or they would cry. In one meeting a local bureaucrat tried to
explain how they could manage on their 260 roubles ($8) payment and how
there would be at least two categories of people allowed totally free
transport – those who were completely physically paralysed and those
with no legs!

The government has been forced to retreat to some extent, making
concessions and apologising for the way they were implemented. Throwing
blame onto the local authorities for the way the new ‘law’ was
implemented has meant some of them, at least temporarily, re-introducing
free transport.

It also opens the way for socialists and others to demand that local
councils refuse to implement the cuts and demand more money from central
government, as in Liverpool council’s mass campaign in Britain in the
1980s.