ST PETERSBURG, Russia, June 2 (Reuters) - Hundreds of workers blocked a motorway in northern Russia on Tuesday to protest against jobs cuts and unpaid wages in their town.
Russia is entering the worst recession in at least a decade and unemployment has soared to 7.7 million, but public expressions of discontent are still rare.
Residents of Pikalyovo, a town of 23,000 people in the pine forests of northern Russia, are demanding Russia's leaders intervene after local factories cut wages and sacked workers.
About 600 people blocked the motorway between St Petersburg and Vologda, a worker from one of the factories who asked for his surname not to be used, told Reuters by telephone.
"We want the factories to work and for people to get their wages which we have not received since March," Oleg, a worker at a local alumina factory which is controlled by tycoon Oleg Deripaska's Basic Element holding group.
"The police tried to stop us but we said we can no longer wait. We have blocked the road," said the worker. A police source told Reuters about 300 people had blocked the road.
Trade unions say about half of the town, which is about 270 kilometres (168 miles) from Russia's northern city of St Petersburg, are living in poverty and residents have told Reuters they do not have enough to feed their families.
Russia's leaders are worried wage cuts and job losses could undermine the social stability which Vladimir Putin, who now serves as prime minister, prided himself on achieving while Kremlin chief.
Putin will open a Nissan Motor Co <7201.T> assembly plant in St Petersburg on Tuesday. (Reporting by Denis Pinchuk, writing by Guy Faulconbridge, editing by Robert Woodward)