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"Workers of Belarus Are on Starvation Diet"

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"Workers of Belarus Are on Starvation Diet"
Archive photo by svaboda.org

Only the people can be the guarantor of a decent life.

International trading unions ring the alarm again. The Belarusian regime completely ignores rights and freedoms of workers, destroys civil society and continues to put pressure on independent trade unions.

Luc Triangle, Secretary General of industriAll European Trade Union, stated that the situation in the country was critical.

Indeed, in 2018 the situation with workers' rights and freedoms deteriorated significantly in Belarus. The authorities have launched a large-scale campaign against the REP independent trade union, which has been active in defending workers' rights, the decree on " parasites" has been adopted, and amendments to the Labour Code are being discussed, which may turn it into the worst in the civilized world.

International trade unions state that modern slavery is booming in Belarus. However, the state organizations designed to protect workers are silent about it.

What is the real situation with rights and freedom of workers in Belarus? Charter97.org asked one of the REP Trade Union's leaders Ihar Komlik for comments.

- I fully agree with the assessment of my colleague from IndustriAll European Trade Union. There are a lot of questions about workers' rights and trade unions' freedom. As far as I know, the authorities have made a behind-the-scenes decision to clean up ranks of independent trade unions and to deregister some organizations. The issue of providing legal addresses for organizations remains open, which is a formal reason for rejection of registration.

In addition, the enterprises say that if you are not registered in a public trade union, you will not receive any bonuses, your contract will not be extended, you will not be given a voucher for a vacation center. We have information that people are told so. This is an open attack on workers' rights. After all, public trade unions do not protect people. No one but independent trade unions protects them.

- Representatives of international trade unions have repeatedly stated that Belarus has a slavery. Do you agree with the assessment of your colleagues?

- Absolutely. It's about the contract system our trade union has been fighting with since 1999, the time when the decree was adopted. Its role and meaning were initially distorted, and the title "On Observance of Labour and Performance Discipline" did not correspond to reality. History shows that contracts have become a repressive tool in hands of the authorities.

People are on starvation diet, not released after the contract expires. The decree is designed to chain people up to beat and feed them with soup so that workers could be silent and were afraid of losing their jobs.

- Case in point: workers at Borisov Jeely plant are forced to work overtime and on weekends. Overtime will not be coordinated with the staff.

- That's what I was talking about. The contract system makes it possible to manipulate people. In fact, it's a new version of serfdom, when people are made to work harder for less money. It may come to the point when Belarusians work for a bowl of soup.

The authorities simply take advantage of the terrible economic situation in the country and people hold onto these places.

- Another crack-down on workers' rights is forced labour, which is commonly known as "parasite tax". Are "parasites" also an example of modern slavery in Belarus?

- Of course, it's neo-feudalism and slavery. We constantly hear that we live in a people-first state. What social state can we talk about in a country with serfdom?

- Belarus consistently receives five points of the International Labour Organization - the lowest grade. What norms and rights do the Belarusian authorities violate?

- A number of conventions concerning labour rights are violated in Belarus: the contract form of employment, violation of the right of workers' associations. But the thing is that today the authorities are trying to do everything sneaky. Resisting independent trade unions, the authorities force them to join public trade unions upon entry into employment. It seems that rights are not violated, but interests of the organization that is suitable for the regime are lobbied. And this, by the way, is prohibited by all kinds of conventions signed by our country.

In addition, the lowest grade from ILO hits the country's image. But it all depends on the country the image is assessed in. Those rogue states with similar regimes just ignore the ILO assessment. But countries with respect to freedoms and democracy use this assessment to affect the credibility and image of the state, as well as investment opportunities.

There was a reason for global trade unions to address the Committee for 2019 European Games to remove these games from Belarus. International organizations just do not want to cooperate with countries that violate fundamental rights of their citizens.

- Another event, which has significantly worsened the situation of workers in Belarus, is the "Trade Unions' case". You and your colleague Henadz Fiadynich were illegally convicted by the Belarusian authorities. Are you going to falsify the judgment in international organizations? What consequences may the authorities face after the wrongful judgment?

- I've already mentioned that international trade unions called to remove the European Games from Belarus. It will lead to the fact that neither tourists, nor athletes, nor journalists will come to our country. People who would crowd hotels, cafes, restaurants and souvenir shops.

It's a great crack-down on image, although our comrades are not so worried about their reputation, so I mean the economic component.

As for the court's decisions, not all internal issues have been fully resolved yet. We are going to appeal to higher institutions, up to the Supreme Court. And then we will appeal to international courts.

There are a lot of inconsistencies in the case. The Minsk City Court is trying to add things the judges who passed the sentence missed. They are trying to drag in their own evidence. In addition, on Friday there will be the meeting on protection of honor and dignity, where Henadz Fiadynich and I will sue the website, which helped the authorities and disseminated slander.

I will speak for myself, the article on the site informed that I had stolen trade union's money and bought real estate of 84 thousand euros.

Since I am know that it's a lie, I will try to protect my honor and dignity, and if I fail, I will gladly receive this property. If I am provided with it, I will not refuse.

- What is your advice to workers, whose rights and freedoms are violated by the Belarusian authorities?

- The rights are given to protect them. If your right is violated, you must protect it. History shows us that rights have always been fought for. Again, if you achieve something, you ought to stand for it.

We all need to come to an understanding that people are the guarantor of freedom and independence of Belarus. It's time for us all to realize ourselves as the people, to think about our destiny and seize the rights.

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