Construction factory workers held strike in Vitebsk

Workers demanded to pay wages for April.

Under the changes in the collective labour contract made last year, the factory pays wages on the last day of a month instead of the 25th day, as it was before. Workers claim the changes were made without their consent.

Workers did not receive pay on May 31, “Narodnye Novosti Vitebska” reports.

About 100 workers gathered at the entrance to the reinforcement shop at 7 am on June 1 and said they would not start work until they received wages.

Mikalai Machakha, a deputy director general responsible for industrial production, met with strikers. Later, a deputy director general responsible for economic activity, Alyaksei Haponenka, appeared.

The conflict was solved after workers received promises they wages would be paid within one day.  Workers are reported by the factory bosses to resume work at 9:30, though workers say they started working only after lunch.

Money was transferred to workers' accounts today at 11:40 am. Journalists failed to find out why the large-panel construction factory did not pay wages on time, because deputy director general responsible for economic activity Alyaksei Haponenka does not answer his phone. A journalist, who wanted to talk to workers, was not allowed to enter the shop.