Official trade unions afraid of hunger riots

Even the pro-governmental trade unions admit the problem of low wages at Belarusian plants.

A problem of wages at Mogilevkhimvolokno was discussed at a meeting of the Mahilou regional council of the Belarusian Chemical Industry Trade Union. The meeting was attended by chairs of the trade union committees, the press service of the pro-governmental Trade Union Federation reports.

“Members of the regional council of the trade union expressed their concerns about the insufficient level of wages. Despite joints efforts by the employer and the trade union committee, wages were lower than those in other industrial sectors in the region and country.

The parties decided to eliminate the faults in the collective agreement system and continue joint work with the employer to find resources for increasing employees' wages,” the statement says.

The regional council of the trade union applied to Belneftekhim company and the republican committee of the Belarusian Chemical Industry Trade Union asking to propose additional measures to raise wages for employees of Mogilevkhimvolokno company.

JSC Mogilevkhimvolokno consisting of the organic synthesis factory, the synthetic fiber factory, the polyester yarn factory and the mechanical repair company is a subsidiary of Belneftekhim company.

The company's employees wrote an open letter to Lukashenka in March complaining about low wages. They said they cannot live on 2.400.000 Belarusian rubles (the wages at the beginning of the year) and threatened to quit. Official trade union denied this information and said workers receive regional average wages.

“There was an appeal to the trade union committee in connection with low wages. We met with people. Managers were given instructions to find opportunities to raise payment. The average wages in the company are 4 million, the average wages in the region,” the trade union committee said.

The Trade Union Federation had to admit the problem of miserable wages at Mogilovkhimvolokno only five months later. It remains unknown if it can influence the wage growth.