Minsk Tractor Plant stops working until April 6

Workers report about a sharp decrease in wages and mandatory leaves.

The situation at the Minsk Tractor Plant (MTZ) is hard. A reader of charter97.org earlier wrote that workers have to take unpaid leaves. According to today's reports, the plant will go on “holiday” until April 6.

“The plant is closed since March 27 till April 6. No one works,” worker Pavel wrote.

“I work at MTZ. The situation is very difficult. People are shocked. I took part in the Freedom March and post-election protests in 2010, and I can say that even the most zealous supporters of the government now curse it,” Valery writes to charter97.org.

“It's true that we have idle time. We don't work and receive two-thirds of the salary since March 27 till April 6. Nobody knows what happens next. Fridays are always days off,” another worker wrote.

However, not all workers had to go on holiday. As charter97.org learnt, security guards and the sales department work as usual.

“I work all days I must, and I am working now,” an employee of the sales department writes.

“It's OK at the security department,” security guard Ivan says.

A charter97.org journalist tried to figure out the reason for the “holidays”, but a representative of the personnel department hung up.

Many companies work short weeks or force workers to take unpaid leaves. In the first days of March, charter97.org received complaints from Gomselmash, the Automobile Units Plant in Asipovichy, the Concrete Products Plant in Svetlahorsk, the Tractor Parts and Units Plant in Babruisk, Mogilevtransmash, Strommashina, the Minsk Tractor Plant, Gomeldrev, the Minsk Bearing Plant, Belarusian Railway, Vitebsk Products company and others.