Several sources reported that the Moscow Metro has begun carrying out mass dismissals. At least 40 people have contacted the head of the independent Moscow Metro trade union and said they were being pressured to resign voluntarily. If they refuse, they are fired for alleged absenteeism. Even employees currently on sick leave have received their final pay, although that is an especially blatant violation.
What did these people do wrong? Maybe they were bad at their jobs? Of course not. They committed something far more terrible — they wanted to live in an honest country.
In private conversations, some managers said it outright: you are being fired for supporting Navalny. Some attended the rally on April 21. Some registered on the “Freedom for Navalny!” website, and then their email addresses were leaked online (we will soon publish an investigation into the theft of data from the site). And according to Moscow City Duma deputy Mikhail Timonov, even people whose close relatives appeared in the database of Navalny supporters were put on the dismissal lists.
So the state’s position now is this: if you oppose the current authorities, you will not be allowed to work. If you have “unreliable” relatives who oppose the current authorities, you will not be allowed to work either. And this is not just outrageous — it is a direct violation of the law: discrimination in its purest form, under Article 136 of the Russian Criminal Code, compounded by abuse of official position.
We consider it our duty to help those who have suffered because they refused to stay indifferent.
We will provide legal assistance to everyone who has been fired, or threatened with dismissal, for supporting Navalny. Write to pravo@navalny.com — we will advise you, help you prepare a lawsuit against your employer, and seek compensation or reinstatement. And if the court does not uphold the law, we will help you apply to the ECHR (European Court of Human Rights).
We also ask you to write to the same address if you:
— are ready to record your story on video, to give this lawlessness as much public exposure as possible and warn other companies against taking similar steps;
— are a lawyer and are ready to help in court with dismissal cases.
With every such piece of news, we become more convinced that in Russia in 2021, the most terrible crime is to oppose the authorities. Thank you to everyone who continues to support us even under these conditions. Together with you, we will build a country where no one can be fired for their political views.
And once again, it is worth remembering why independent trade unions such as the Doctors’ Alliance or the Teachers’ Alliance matter. They fight for workers’ rights and protect them from being quietly dismissed at management’s whim. If you do not see an independent trade union in your field, you can create one yourself, and we will help.