In Russia’s Kemerovo region, more than 1,700 miners at the Severny Kuzbass company reported nearly a year of unpaid wages. The debt to employees has exceeded 500 million rubles, The Moscow Times reports, according to UNN.
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The employees recorded a video address to candidates for the Russian State Duma. According to them, they have not received their wages since October 2025, while promises by Kemerovo Region Governor Ilya Seredyuk did not change the situation.
We are not asking for charity; we are demanding what we earned through hard mining labor
In May 2026, Russia’s Investigative Committee reported that the company’s debt had exceeded 256 million rubles. According to the investigation, the company’s head, Stanislav Lupiy, directed funds intended for wages to the accounts of controlled companies and issued bonuses to the management.
Russia’s coal industry is in crisis
According to the governor of the Kemerovo region, 80% of the region’s coal enterprises are operating at a loss. In Kuzbass, 18 enterprises have already been closed, while coal production has fallen to 2011 levels.
Among the causes of the crisis, the Russian authorities cite sanctions, sales problems, and rising production costs and railway tariffs. Kuzbass accounts for about half of all coal production in Russia.