The trade union leaders are concerned with the situation at the navy shipyards in Polyarny and Roslyakovo on the Kola Peninsula. Social tensions rise among the workers due to the lack of salaries. They received the last wages in September last year. The total debt for the wages is about one million dollars at the Polyarny shipyard despite the fact that the workers fulfil the work in time and with good quality. The Defence ministry transfers the money for the repaired submarines in time; however, it does not reach the workers, TV Murman reported.
Most of the money is taken by the tax authorities to pay off the debt for the previous years. Similar situations at these two shipyards were in the end of 90s marked by the mass protests. Today wage debts have reached $2m at the two plants, while the shipyards debts to the extra-budgetary and pension funds are $14m. The Northern Fleet trade unions demand Russian Chief Navy commander to pay for all fulfilled orders in 2004, TV Murman reported.