Kalashnikov Hits Kremlin With Wage Complaints

Long-serving employees at Russian small arms and light weapons manufacturer Izhmash, including the legendary Mikhail Kalashnikov, have sent a letter to the Kremlin complaining about falling production volumes and low wages.

In it, they claim that bad management has led to the loss of a number of export contracts and resulted in the failure to fulfill a government order.

That in turn prompted wage cuts, forcing skilled personnel to leave in droves, the letter also claimed. The long-serving employees warned of dire consequences unless urgent action is taken.

“Irreversible changes may take place at the enterprise, leading to its disappearance, and to the vanishing of brands such as Kalashnikov, Dragunov and Nikonov,” the letter said. In mid-October, Izhmash employees held a spontaneous protest over falling wages.

Izhmash, famous for its Kalashnikov assault rifles, has recently been under serious financial strain. Production fell 50 percent in September, leading to wage cuts and dismissals. Izhmash, controlled by Russian state-run corporation Russian Technologies (Rostekhnologii), produces over 70 types of weaponry, including firearms, aircraft guns, precision artillery rounds, as well as a variety of sporting and hunting weapons.