Hrodna Azot Workers Are Being Plundered

Technology overcomes Lukashenka's lackeys.

On September 2, 2022, an accident occurred at Hrodna Azot OJSC. An expensive Dutch-made column was damaged. They did not open special fittings, the so-called air vents, during the repair or inspection and vacuum compressed it. The inwall and disks and inner lining of the column were damaged.

The first attempts to repair the column caused one more accident. Two employees descending into the maintenance convoy were affected by ammonia remaining there. Two employees descending into the facility to repair it were affected by ammonia remaining there. The official report of the plant indicated that the employees did it without a special document (permit order) and did not negotiate it with the shop of the plant. Remembering the work at the enterprise, it is difficult for me to imagine that the contractor will start working without the relevant documents. Few of them will even put on gloves and take up the tool until there is an official document on the readiness of the equipment. Firstly, this is their main safety issue, and secondly, simple laziness, because paperwork takes up time and they can safely “smoke”.

After a failed repair, the column was replaced. According to the workers, they found a similar one somewhere in Russia, brought it and installed it. However, rumours slowly spread around the plant that they would take a part of salaries to pay the cost of a new column.

In early December, the rumours were confirmed. The workers of each shop will be deprived of 400 rubles from their salary. The Lukashists are going to cover up this theft with the "thirteenth salary", they are going to immediately take it in favour of the enterprise. This can rightly be called a scam or fraud, as workers must sign an introductory paper agreeing to deduct their official "13th salary".

According to the Labor Code, the payment of the "13th salary" is not regulated by labour legislation, therefore it is not mandatory for employers (Part 1 of Article 63, Parts 1 and 2 of Article 196), respectively, it does not require special order or familiarization. Then why did they force the workers to refuse it on their own? The answer is simple: any transfer of bonus funds to employees' accounts accompanied by tax deductions for the trade unions, for the pension fund and directly for the income fund itself. The workshops will receive info notes stating that the workers are required to agree to the deduction of their legally due money. In case of refusal, there is a high probability of getting into preventive conversations with the political bosses who occupied the plant.

The reasons for such breakdowns are clear to almost everyone in the enterprise: the lack of qualified personnel. The management of the enterprise is doomed to constantly deal with the consequences of its management. The only reason for every breakdown, every unscheduled stop is the illiterate management of appointees. They were warned of problems and more breakdowns as they ruthlessly fired professionals for being disloyal to the regime. And those whom they appointed to the vacant posts, even the middle bosses in the shops, are terribly incompetent. The lack of well-trained specialists now threatens not only the enterprise, but the entire city.

An attempt to interfere with politics in the technological process is doomed to complete failure. Either technology overcomes the lackeys, or it dissolves into politics, and, as you know, not a single enterprise will survive without competent technologists. The Azot is losing them every day. Talking heads that can only grovel come to replace them.

Artsiom Chernikau, especially for the Basta Telegram channel