On December 23 YABLOKO conducted an action against raising
of tariffs in the monopolized housing and utilities sector.
The action took place in the center of Moscow and was conducted
in a form of children’s
Christmas matinee under a slogan “A Happy New Year – a Year
of a Fat Cat” (2011 is a year of the Cat according to the
oriental calendar which is popular in Russia).
“We would like to draw attention to the fact that our people
once again received a new year “present” from the Russian
Government, the parliament and all the monopolists from Gazprom
an energy sector companies to regional municipal monopolies.
They raised tariffs by 20 per cent almost on all the services:
on utilities, electricity, gas, water and transportation,”
Sergei Mitrokhin told to journalists.
The next year will be the year of a Rabbit or a Cat in accordance
with oriental calendar. That is why YABLOKO made a fat cat
symbolizing the so-called “efficient managers” from monopolistic
companies a protagonist of the action. Thus, Gazprom was portrayed
as a severe cat on the pounce. A cat symbolizing the Teploenergo
energy company was opening a bottle of champaigne and a cat
symbolising the Russian Railways was smoking a cigar.
“Every year raising of tariffs [by monopolies] somehow exceeds
inflation by two or three times,” Mitrokhin said. “We can
not agree with this and will fight against this. Today we
are launching a campaign against growth of tariffs all over
the country. Next year Russia’s regions will join the campaign,”
he noted.
All the photos from the action see at the Moscow
YABLOKO web-site
See also:
Anti-Monopoly
Legislation
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