23:15 Jan 19 

would be John Henry, also a coal miner (but only a fiction character in a 1950s song)

23:02 Jan 19 

Are these people old enough to work? Seems unlikely

22:56 Jan 19 

Hi Anton,
Yes that's the idea, it's intended to make people work; what I'm really looking for is an English equivalent for people unacquainted with anything Soviet.
Thanks anyway!

22:56 Jan 19 

Stakhanov has NO equivalent!
:-)

22:46 Jan 19 

Joe the Plumber?

22:42 Jan 19 

Or "Make Stakhanov blush!", "Make Stakhanov proud!"

22:37 Jan 19 

Hello Gwain,

the more context you give the more chances you have of getting a natural equivalent.
If the expression is used to call smb. to work harder (and has nothing to do with the time frames), I would suggest something like "Go Stakhanovite!" (it is a bit humorous in fact :-))