Family of teachers dismissed for political views

Independent trade unions struggle with unjust contractual employment system both at legislative level, but also in each specific case when the worker becomes a real victim of this slavish system.

Leanid Sudalenka, a legal inspector of the Homel Branch of the Belarusian Radio and Electronics Workers’ Union (REWU) has assisted to prepare the legal claim to the grammar school No 46 teacher (city of Homel) Svyatlana Palyakova, the Trade Union Movement in Belarus website informs. The employer has suggested transferring her from position of the teacher of history to a lower paid position of an educator. If Svetlana disagrees, she was promised to get dismissed. Provisions of Decree No 29 “On Additional Measures on Improvement of Labor Relations, Strengthening of Labor and Implementation Discipline” President Lukashenka give the employer such a right.

Svyatlana Palyakova considers actions of the employer as discrimination in the sphere of labor relations. She has been working as a teacher of history at this school since 1997. During all this time she had no claims or reprimands.

- I believe that actions of the employer have strongly pronounced discrimination nature as the unique latent reason, which is used to refuse to prolong labor relations, is my political views and beliefs - I am a member of the United Civil Party and I take active participation in its activity, - explains the teacher.

She also thinks that the basis for such decision of the employer were both political views and belief of her spouse - Vasil Palyakou, who, being Chairperson of the Homel Regional Organization of the United Civil Party, actively participates in the political and public life of the country. More than 10 years Vasil Palyakou has worked in education system, was the conscientious worker and committed no violations of labor and implementation discipline. However, in 2006 he also has been dismissed from his job without an explanation of the reasons, upon termination of validity of the fixed time labor contract.

- It is a question of discrimination of the whole family; - Leanid Sudalenka makes comments on the situation. - Certainly, we shall undertake all possible measures to protect Svyatlana Palyakova’s rights in the court. She and her husband are members of our trade union. But recently there are less and less hopes for justice, even when worker is deprived with the basic right - the right to work. It is possible to conduct infinitely long discussion about freedom to conclude the fixed term labor contract, however, hardly someone would deny, that in the country it is practically impossible to find work in conditions of mass application of contracts under the infinite labor contract, especially for a teacher.