This text questions the common belief that Russia is in transition to capitalism and looks behind the political and ideological debates to focus on the development of the real lives of the workers. The contributors come to the conclusion that beneath the political turmoil Russia has not managed to overcome the challenge presented by the working class - that, in fact, the struggle over the transformation of class is only just beginning.

This book explores the transformation of employment relations, the rise of worker protest and the reform of trade union practice to ask how successfully the state-socialist trade unions have adapted to their new role of representing the rights and interests of workers.