Does Russia’s working class form a pillar of popular support for the Putin regime? Or are workers and their communities struggling with stagnating standards of living, so that their social and economic concerns might become demands for political change? There is ample evidence to support both views. This chapter will attempt to reconcile those contradictory views regarding labor in Russian politics and society. In doing so, it will point to a substantial dilemma for Russia’s leadership. Seeking to rejuvenate Russia’s slow-growth economy will almost certainly entail hardship for Russia’s workers, which could lead to social protest and political instability. Yet failing to rejuvenate the economy will likely result in prolonged stagnation, which could also lead to protest and instability.
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