A Russian Middle Class in Formation? Social Strata and Sectional Trade Unionism in the Aviation and Coal Industries

This chapter considers one aspect of the debates about the middle class that of middle class trade unionism, thereby raising questions about class formation and class consciousness. It shows that trade unionism is one of the ways in which middle class labour expresses its interests at the point of production. The chapter presents the Western literature on the question of middle class formation and trade unionism, noting the way in which class-based forms of unionism have been characteristic of advanced capitalist economies. It examines a substantive example of the development of non-manual trade unionism in Russia, focusing on developments in the northern coal field of Vorkuta. The pilots in the Russian aviation industry saw themselves as the core workers, in an elite status position, the highest paid in the industry, with the best prospects for a career in management, and receiving priority treatment in housing and social welfare benefits.