Let Managers of Enterprises Live Off $20 A Month, Henadz Fiadynich Says

The strike in Hatovo shows the result of Lukashenka's rule for workers.

Workers of the Prommekhanika plant have been on strike in Hatovo for several days already. Since March, they have not been paid only Br20-80 ($10-$40) per month. On Monday, workshops stopped. People stopped working, demanding the payment of wages.

It turned out that workes of the Barysau Avtogidrousilitel faced the same problem. Only yesterday they received the first part of the salary for May in the amount of $21.8.

Charter97.org asked one of the leaders of independent REP Trade Union REP Henadz Fiadynich to comment on the situation at the Belarusian enterprises:

- I'd like to say that if there had been members of our trade union at the enterprise in Hatovo or Barysau, they would have had no arrears in wages. We protect our people, no matter where they work, and these are not just big words.

One has to fight for one's rights. One should not allow oneself to be mocked at. After all, many workers have families. For example, the housing and utilities service does not care about your situation - the payment for communal services should be on time.

I wonder if the management also received 20 rubles or the full salary. I wish our officials lived off these miserable 20 dollars...

In general, well done, workers in Hatovo. If I were an unofficial leader of an enterprise, I would come and stopped working for at least an hour to protest against the travesty of the working class in the form of non-payments.

- What advice could you give for workers who do not receive their salaries?

- They need to organize themselves. If they don't want to join an independent trade union yet, they need their own union. They make contributions to an official trade union. But can they rely on it?

These pocket trade unions support the administration, not workers. How can one stay idle when a worker has not been paid? This is a disaster! The top priority of a normal trade union is to ensure payment of wages on time. That's the point.

I'd like to address workers and say that they can come to us for advice. They can go to court and get a penalty for every day of salary delay. Let the head of the company look for a place to get it. It's his problems.

Let workers be brave and not believe the "put yourself in the enterprise's place". No one wants to be in shoes of workers and their families.

- Indeed, in the case of Hatovo, official trade unions are silent. Do they make any sense at all?

- Do you know how people call official trade unions?

- How?

- Administration department for work with workers. Nevertheless, I want to ask workers how can you tolerate this attitude? Well, make contributions to them! Even if you get wages now, what will happen next? Will you wait for future arrears?

I'd like to say that if people wake up and there are informal leaders, it means their dismissal from the enterprise is unacceptable. One should hold on to one's leaders. In principle, every enterprise has them.

I'd like to stress that if workers turn to our trade union, we will provide them with a piece of professional advice on how to behave in this situation. For example, they can go on an Italian strike and do nothing for a while. But actions should be concentrated.

That is, they need to organize themselves and stand to the end in defending their rights. You know, self-organization means everything.

If you get a small victory, others will follow you. Working solidarity is vital. Ask an independent trade union for solidarity support. You will get it.

- Tell us, is the situation in Hatovo and Barysau an isolated case or a trend in Belarus?

- I want to say that many Belarusians who have faced non-payment of wages often come to the REP Trade Union. Such issues are settled amicably or through court. I note that we have always won a case.

You know, people believe that the problem will resolve itself. Guys, don't delude yourself. Problems will only aggravate.

- Why?

- Because products must be competitive in price and quality. The Belarusian authorities rely on small salaries for workers, but they won't succeed. No one will work for free!

Unfortunately, such an approach to education and wages may cause greater outflow of people from our enterprises and their departure from Belarus.

The outflow of workers from Belarus is growing every month. Why? The answer is simple. One has to pay for work. People shouldn't work for food, and so on.

- You're talking about work for food, but every month the authorities report on the "growth of wages". Allegedly, an average salary has already hit a thousand rubles...

- That's funny. They would better show a real average salary of a worker, managers, the banking sector and, for example, an employee of the public sector, and everything would clear. Let them show how much doctors, nurses actually earn.

Their "statistics" depersonalize each category of workers. If we want it to be transparent, we should show the real level of earnings in every category. The authorities are afraid of this. Today, they are not able to stimulate the economy out of the pit where it was created.

Again, the outflow of people is shocking and, unfortunately, it will only increase. No "parasite" decrees of Lukashenka can stop them. They have one goal - to support their families.

Today, salaries, especially in the regions, are beyond criticism. In such a situation, the problem with professional staff will get worse every year. Of course, it will affect the quality of medical care, construction, education and services.

- How do you see a way out of the situation?

- In fall, representatives of labour collectives should gather and work out specific requirements for the government in terms of wages and other social and economic directions. These requirements should be set before the authorities.

If they do not meet these reasonable and legal requirements, they should simply leave and give the way to other people. This is done all over the world and Belarus should not be an exception.

The authorities should work for the people, not for themselves. As soon as we understand this, our people will live a decent life, many people will return to their homeland and then Belarus will be a country to live in not in.

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