A Russian regional political figure reported that seven active participants in a disruption at the UAZ plant were detained by the Zasviyazhsky district police in Ulyanovsk. The information originated from a local outlet and has sparked controversy over how the suspension of factory work tied to a state defense order could be interpreted. The claim suggests a potential act of sabotage, depending on the context and the intentions behind the factory’s pause in operations.
According to the deputy, the detained workers were taken into custody at the request of UAZ’s chief executive, who alleged that the stoppage interfered with production and threatened the fulfillment of the state defense order. The deputy contends that the move was intended to pressure the workers and penalize them for their actions, framing it as a tactic to curb dissent within the workforce.
In response, UAZ employees released a video message stating that their representatives had decided to address concerns through public channels because some politicians have not engaged with the plant for several years. The workers claimed that salary increases occur on an annual basis, but attributed this outcome to the efforts of the factory’s collective, not to the influence of deputies or political figures.
Later reports indicated that on the evening of May 17, a Telegram channel reported a workers’ gathering on the factory floor to demand higher wages. Meanwhile, a UAZ press service statement insisted there was no strike at the plant and that a prosecutor’s office was involved in oversight of the operation. The conflicting narratives have fueled a broader debate about labor rights, factory autonomy, and the role of political leadership in industrial workplaces. Local observers and attendees have urged careful verification of facts as the situation unfolds and investigations continue. The available statements from officials and workers show divergent perspectives on the causes and consequences of the events, underscoring the sensitivity of factory labor disputes in the broader economic context. [citation: 73online.ru]