Briefly explain the Lena Goldfield Strike, 1912

The Lena Goldfield Strike was triggered by a variety of factors surrounding working conditions, specifically the poor pay, long working hours and high accident rates in the gold mines. In contrast, these mines created large profits for the British and Russian Governments at the Lena Goldfield Mines. Workers were also made to pay fines. As a result of this disparity, workers began to demand better pay, shorter hours, and elimination of fines in March. When these demands were rejected the result was a strike. Tsar Nicholas II took action to end the strike, sending in troops to arrest all participants. The next morning the public demanded the immediate release of the strike participants, however the lack of response to this demand led 2,500 people marching to the gold mines. The workers were met with soldiers who began to shoot at the crowd. Hundreds died and more were wounded. This triggered major rioting and protests, and the attempted appeasement at a new contract for the workers failed and many left the mines and moved elsewhere.