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Zinaida Mikhnyuk: Social Upheaval to Happen

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Zinaida Mikhnyuk: Social Upheaval to Happen

Workers at enterprises are driven into despair.

Lack of orders at the Homel radio plant caused the transfer to the three-day work week. As a result, 800 workers and specialists will face significant cuts in salaries.

Does this situation reflect the state of Belarusian enterprises? Is a wave of unemployment worth expecting? Charter97.org contacted Zinaida Mikhnyuk, the representative of the Brest regional independent Trade Union of Radio and Electronic Industry (REP), with these questions:

- Now workers are almost driven into despair. After the harsh winter many of them have to agree to even a half-time week, as it was done by workers of the Homel radio plant. people seek shelter in villages, summer cottages and leave abroad to work. It is noteworthy that it has lasted for a while.

- What can it lead to?

- We are waiting for a social upheaval. Workers of the Homel plant should unite and assert their rights. By the way, I have recently told to a worker of one enterprise with lots of pensioners. She is 51 years old. It means 5 years before she retires. And she is the one denied in extension of the contract. Is it fair? Those who stay believe it's not!

It turns out that a pensioner gets a "poor" pension of $100, but there is also a salary of, let us say, night watchperson. While the 51-year-old woman is left at the bottom of the barrel.

I have to say that now employers have much more rights than employees. And, unfortunately, managing positions are mostly taken by people without principles, who want to build a career at any price. They just need a record in the employment book. In general, workers are outraged both by the contract system and the situation at enterprises. The situation is as that it's already the 21 century and the slavery has just changed its form.

The very term "decree" means a short-term act. It turns out that the temporary Decree No. 29, which introduced short-term contracts in 1999, has been valid for 19 years. We've tried to abolish it, but it's really complex. REP Trade Union reached the Supreme Court, and it was stated that Lukashenka's decree is above the labor law. I wonder what country we are living in.

- May further unemployment increase be expected?

- I guess if it is really like that, it will not be reflected by the official statistics. And I will explain you why. People do not see any reason to register at the labour exchange. They do their best to survive.

And then how is it possible to record spurts of unemployment. Accorging to official data, it does not exist. We live in the country of "happy" people. BT TV channel proves our "good life". However, everyone knows that the reality differs. It reminds of the joke - I'd like to live in Belarus I see on TV every day.

In general, the unemployment level may increase, and only independent trade unions can record it based on appeals of citizens.

- You talk about workers' appeals to independent trade unions. What was the situation with them at enterprises?

- I can tell about ours. The REP Charter defines that out cell can be grounded on production or territorial principle. To keep workers active at enterprises, we managed to register city organizations in Brest and Hrodna, and workers from all enterprises can seek assistance. Legal inspectors help to defend rights of workers at enterprises. A lot of people seek our assistance.

Of course, amid the current situation there are many obstacles for operation of independent trade unions. But I stress that the pressure on the part of authorities only contributed to our influence. People say, if it happens then the trade union is a worthy one. I can say that now even more people seek our assistance, than it was before initiation of criminal cases against REP leaders - Henadz Fyadynich and Ihar Komlik.

It indicates that either workers are driven into despair and do not fear anything, or the number of enterprises with declining salaries is increasing.

- What do you think Belarusians should expect?

- Many people I talk to feel like they are about to cross the poverty line. I do not know where I can meet people satisfied with the situation in the country. Faces in the streets are indicative. People are well aware of the situation. You know, there is the war waging in Ukraine, and we have impoverished without it.

I note that Brest OAO Brestgasapparat used to be the place with high salalries and work a full week, but it turns out that workers have had no salary increase for several years. But the inflation still exists. People are indignant, although their salaries were much higher that those at other enterprises.

Turning to the Homel radio plant, I'd like to remind that in 1995 woman Valiantsina Smatrytskaya working as lathe operator handcuffed herself with a chain to the machine in protest against arrears in wages. And it lasted the whole day.

She was the member of the REP Trade Union established in 1990. And I think the situation can reoccur. Crane operator of one of Brest enterprise said they were organizing a protest. There are workers who fail with the extension of the contract, but they are going to resist.

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