Mahilou's biggest plants stop working

Not all workers were warned about a day off on Monday.

Mahilou residents write to charter97.org.

“Today is a day off at the BelAZ branch, but I came to work like a workaholic. I should have stayed at home and sleep,” a reader writes.

Mahilou's branch of the Minsk Automobile Plant (MAZ) also does not work today.

“A workaholic like you from Transmash plant called me today and asked why he couldn't get to work,” the site's reader Siarhei writes.

“The same with me. No one bothered to warn me. We came, had a smoke and went home. As I understood, the day off is on the occasion of yesterday's Women's Day. They cut off power in the building and decided to replace a part of wiring and circuit breakers. Only electricians were working. But there were no orders to take unpaid leave,” Aliaksandr writes.

Strommashina plant has a day off, too.

“It's a day off today. I am sick and tired. I am on maternity leave. It was a problem to get the child benefit I have been waiting for for the whole month. I have no money to pay utility bills,” reader Natallia says.

Charter97.org journalists failed to get official comments on the situation: no one picks up the phone at all of these plants.

Many Belarusian companies have problems with paying wages. There have been reports in the last few months about four- and three-day working weeks, failure to pay wages in full, a decrease in wages and forced unpaid leaves.

The number of workers at Belarusians plants and factories has reduced by more than 10,000 people. The largest layoffs hit such giants as Atlant plant, the Minsk Automobile Plant (MAZ), the Minsk Motor Plant and Barysau-based Avtogidrousilitel plant. As many as 1184 violations of labour legislation were found as a result of checks in 173 companies.