Authors analyze problems of the labor relations in Russia (research materials – official social and economic statistics, estimates of experts and results of sociological polls). Authors call two reasons of problems of employment relationships in modern Russia – a difficult economic environment and legal nihilism of employers which quite often ignore provisions of the Russian Federation labor code and also the requirement of the collective agreements accepted at the entities. As the collective employment dispute and a strike require considerable time and difficult actions, and also observance of the strict formal procedure, workers aim to protect the social and labor rights by other methods. First of all, it is precautionary messages to employers, and also “external” vectors of expression of a protest – the appeal to the authorities, direct (by means of claims in state bodies of the executive authority and supervising instances including by means of Internet resources) and indirect (meetings). In general, the system of social partnership which developed in Russia designed to perform communication between workers, employers and authorities is insufficiently effective. However labor unions continue to play a noticeable role in settlement of spontaneously breaking out conflicts thanks to what protests pass into the legal course.