Granit plant workers boycott “elections”

Activists of an independent trade union on Granit plant declared their position regarding the “parliamentary election”.

Many of members of the independent trade union on Granit plant in Mikashevichy are going to boycott the “election” to the “house of representatives”, because they have no illusions that the political campaign will comply with democratic norms.

The statement was made by Aleh Stakhayevich, the leader of the trade union organization, Viasna human rights centre reports.

He says trade union activists want to meet with candidates to make their proposals and talk about the situation on Granit plant. The activists failed to establish a dialogue with acting member of the Belarusian “parliament” from the Luninets consittuency.

“We understand a new 'people's representative' will be just appointed,” Aleh Stakhayevich says. “But we want to use a meeting with this candidate to put questions to him and look into his honest eyes, if he has honest eyes.”

The trade union leader thinks the true information about the situation on Granit plant should be spread by all means possible, because plant head Eduard Haurylkevich has repeatedly emphasized absence of a conflict between the personnel and administration and stated there is no “independent trade union” in Mikashevichy.