Are railway personnel’s salaries to be cut by 25% since April 1?

The Belarusian Railway is facing financial problems.

Earlier the editorial office of charter97.org received many complaints from railway employees, who shared information about how matters stand at the Belarusian Railway. The administration denies that the situation has deteriorated.

“That’s how the situation with making people take unpaid leaves was solved at Brest branch of the Railway: since April 1 the norm is decreased to 120 hours a month, that is, salaries are to be cut by about 25%. For today salaries are cut by average Br1 mln,” writes a reader of charter97.org.

Besides, readers inform us about the same problems that railway employees in other regions have.

“In Asipovichy the entire coach building works had a leave, working two thirds of the time,” a reader of charter97.org informs.

“It’s true: railway men of Maladzechna section of the railway are made to take an unpaid leave for 2 days,” a reader, Ivan, informs.

Railway employees in Babrujsk say that the practice of forcible leaves is not new for them already.

“We have been writing such applications for leaves for three years already here in Babrujsk section! First we were writing applications for 2 days, but economists decided it was not enough: and now we are ask for 4 days off, from Friday to Monday! It is said to us, it is done for people not to be fired. But who could be made redundant, we have the necessary number of workers, and too much of employees of the district and of the office!” Serhei writes.

“The chiefs of the Belarusian Railway are not guided by financial benefits, but just by a desire to please Lukashenka, who thinks that if not Russia, then China is going to make Belarus rich. Purchase of Chinese electric trains and electrification of sections of the Belarusian Railway which are rarely used have resulted in an unmanageable debt load for the railway. A so-called modernization with a minus has taken place as well. As a result, as said by my acquaintance, who is working there, locomotives are falling to pieces, as there are no spare parts and even instruments for repair works. The noise level is too high, gas contamination is over any limits. This picture of humiliating treatment of engine-drivers is accompanied by our infamous health care, which thinks up every kind of cruelty for our people. Engine drivers are going through a medical examination board for two months, and considering technical classes on the schedule, people in fact have no time for rest.

A huge heap of colliding instructions and documents is impossible to make sense of. They are often written by illiterate specialists. There are more inspectors and supervisors at the railway than in any other place, but the effect of their work is almost negative. As said by some workers from Vitsebsk motive-power depot, before the beginning of a new Slavonic Bazaar, inspectors arrive from Minsk, they are to be supplied by tickets to concerts, accommodation, food and drinks. And it costs lots of money. Besides, there are people who are registered at one position and work in another place, or are working in an unknown place. And how many relatives and children have been collected there, with positions and salaries invented for them!” Yury Ivanou, a reader, wrote.

Earlier the spokesperson of the Belarusian Railway Andrei Baravy in his comment to charter97.org said about unpaid leaves:

“It is not true. All applications for unpaid leaves employees write on the basis of the mutual consent of the parties. There have been no forcible orders,” he said.

Our readers were resentful at the answer and started to send examples which confirm the opposite.