Mass layoffs on OJSC Lakokraska in Lida

On February 15 they laid off a whole department, it is planned to lay off another one. The leadership makes no comments.

Charter97.org editorial office received a letter from one of Lakokraska workers.

"Since October our enterprise has been working a four-day week. In some departments people work for 2/3 pay", he wrote.

Charter97.org journalist tried to find out an official version, however, the plant management refused to comment on the situation.

"We have a lot of phone calls from journalists...The Director is busy, please, call back in an hour. We have a meeting today, there is no a free minute", the reception of Andrei Soika repeated every time when we tried to clarify the situation at the plant.

Ludmila Birych, the Deputy Director for personnel, ideological and social work, refused to comment on it.

"We do not work with Charter97", she stated categorically.

Other members of the JSC "Lakokraska" confirmed the current situation and shared more information.

- We have had a four-day week since October. They say there will be layoffs, but still nothing is happening. In case someone is laid off he is paid out a large sum of money. Rumor has it that the plant will be sold in parts and so on", one of the workers Anna told.

"We work as best as we can, we wish we could have returned our former management, broke up and imprisoned, so that we could "live" again. But the time has gone: there is much of idle time, currency exchange rate fluctuations. We hope it is just out of season and in summer everything will get better. It is good that salary is paid out on time", Aliaksandr, one of the workers, wrote.

"It's true that the plant works a for-day week. But I don't work there anymore, since February almost all my repair and construction department No. 16 has been cut. It is planned to experience a new wave of mass layoffs - repair and construction department No. 15. After being dismissed, we got a three-month allowance", Siarhei said.

"Yes, it is true about four-day work week. In October we were sent on an unpaid leave, after that they reduced a working week. There is no work, everybody work in the first shift. They issue orders, which take charge of salaries, and in case of decrease in sales they will only pay per hour. At the end of each month we think whether we will work in the next one or everybody will work for 2/3 pay, the worker Valery said.

It should be reminded that Belarusian enterprises experience problems in paying out wages to employees. In particular, for several months there have been reports on the transfer of enterprises in the four- and three-day work week, on partial payment of salaries and their decrease, as well as obligatory unpaid leaves.