Four-day working week extended by another month on MAZ plant

MAZ plant does not plan to cancel short working weeks.

Charter97.org has learnt it from trade union activist Styapan Paulovich, who works at the Minsk Automobile Plant (MAZ).

“The plant director signed a decree on four-day working weeks during April. A similar document was signed a month ago. Fridays on April 5, 12, 19 and 26 are days off. The working says were moved to autumn,” he said.

According to him, the plant authorities explain the decree with taking care of owners of dachas, who allegedly need one more day off. However, everyone understands the real reason for shorter working weeks is a difficult economic situation.

“Workers see that the plant does poorly. There are no buyers for production and no income,” the trade union activist says.

MAZ's spokeswoman Yulia Kapash declined to give comments to charter97.org. She agreed to answer only to a written request, but failed to explain reasons for such a decision.

MAZ plant began to work four days a week in March. Workers complained about a sharp decrease in wages. Some workers are paid twice as little as they used to some months ago. The plant executives said last month short working weeks were introduced only until the end of March, but the situation on the plant didn't change in April.