Mstislau authorities take revenge on workers for a strike

Workers of the road construction unit have to go to Russian for work, because they cannot find a job in the local district after a protest action.

Workers held a three-day strike in late March protesting against the merger of the road construction unit and mobile mechanical department No. 271, Radio Svaboda reports.

A former employee of the road construction unit, who asked not to be named, reported about the strike. He says it lasted from March 22 until March 25. Workers chose not to spread information about the strike hoping that the conflict would be resolved peacefully. They decided to apply to the media only after some most active workers had faced pressure.

Workers of the road construction unit went on strike when they learnt the united company would be run by current head of mobile mechanical department No. 271 Fiodar Padabed.

“Seventy percent of our co-workers used to work for Padabed. He ruined his company. 57 workers quit next day after the merger. We were on strike for three days. No sense. They marked we were absent from work during our strike. They began to press on us one by one. A few our people work for Padabed now, but they are going to quit, because they earn only 1.5 million,” the worker says.

According to him, the district executive committee has an unofficial instruction not to employ active participants of the strike in the district. Officials threatened with such measures at a meeting with workers.

“People try to find a job in different companies, but no one hires them. We don't know what to do. We will go to Russia. We have to pay bill and live,” the worker says.

The district executive committee admits the workers are discontent, but deny that officials have instructions not to employ active participants of the strike. As for the merger, it was approved by chairman of the regional executive committee Piotr Rudnik. Fiodar Padabed was appointed head of the united company, because he had wide experience, the district executive committee says.