Women Workers Forced To Strip Naked At A Russian Mine.... Photos

Female workers at a Russian emerald mine have complained about 'the harassment' during strip search checks to ensure they are not stealing valuable gems. The random naked searches involve women standing unclothed on a cold concrete floor, and can lead to 'intimate questions during check ups', allege staff.

They were even threatened with intrusive examinations 'in a gynaecological chair' if they protested about the regime at Malyshevskoye emerald mine in the Ural Mountains, they claim.

A group of women employees from the mine told local media: 'Hardest of all is the so called selective naked check up.

'It means that any of us can be selected in the middle of the working day and delivered to the naked check up room.

'It is a cold room with concrete floor and a cracked window.

'Women have to get completely undressed while every millimetre of their clothing is checked.

'If we complain about standing on the cold floor, their response is rough and implies that everyone of us is a potential thief, with an emerald buyer waiting across a fence.'

The actual naked checks are conducted by women security operatives, but the women are often quizzed by male colleagues, they said.

A new security team was drafted in last year, after a change in director, they said.