Youth activist was fired for the exhibition of satirical portraits of Lukashenka

Yaraslau Grischenya was for the umpteenth time fired from work for his social and political activity.

As the Human Rights Center “Viasna” informs, at the end of May Yaraslau Grischenya was proposed to work as a marketing analyst in “Technostar” Tourist Company with the promise of good earnings and interesting work. He agreed. And indeed, there were no problems within his first month of work. Unexpectedly, one of the firm’s managers told him that the firm does not need a position of marketing analyst and Yaraslau was to be fired. The activist did not agree to this suggestion. However, some time later Grischenya was again called to the company management and was asked if he was one of the organizers of the exhibition of satirical portraits of Lukashenka, which is demonstrated in the office of Belarusian National Front party, showing him the screenshots of some e-sites. Yaraslau did not start to deny his participation.

On August,5 Grischenya was placed before the choice: “either you quit by yourself, or you will be fired for violation of labour discipline”. As at the beginning of his work in “Technostar” he was promised to have flexible working hours, then there a reasonable question arose: what late arrivals to work could be in such a case? However he was informed, that “there are no problems to create a problem”. And this promise has been kept. Grischenya was fired a half month earlier, by order of July, 16, with a payment of only 30% of the promised earnings, it was said, that he was allegedly employed for a part-time job. Meanwhile Grischenya was given a warning for violation of labour discipline.

In the situation, when there were no even a signed work contract between the employer and Yaraslau Grischenya, it is quite problematic to defend his rights, however, the activist is intended to go to the court with a complaint, in order the court gives the legal treatment of the actions of JV “Technostar” management, as in his discharge he sees political subtext.

We would like to remind, that it is not the first fact of firing of the young front activist from work: in 2007 he was fired from the position of a sound control supervisor of Palace of Culture of Railway workers in Baranavichy and also for his social-political activity.

The paintings of Polish artist Celina Skrzebczak, for the exhibition of which the activist of “Young Front” was fired.