Hennadz Fiadynich: What Happened In Hatava Can Happen Tomorrow In Any Region

The workers in Hatava have only managed to get paid due to a strike.

A strike at the enterprise. A dramatic situation at the Prammiakhanika plant in Hatava, Minsk Region. The employees have not been paid their salaries for more than 2 months. Some debts amount to 2-3 thousand rubles. The workers stopped working on Monday, Belsat writes.

Today, after lunch, the management made concessions to the strikers and paid the debt for two months.

Here, the human dramas have led to despair and strikes at the Prammiakhanika plant. Metalworker Mikalai Lambotski says:

"We promised that we wouldn't work until the money was paid. And today is the first day of work. They must keep their promise and pay some money.

Hatava is a settlement that is 8km away from the Minsk Ring Road. Therefore, its people seek greener pastures in the capital. Yauhen Kosarau, security guard-watchman:

"I would like them to pay, and pay at least more or less regularly. Before that it was more or less stable, there were some minor delays, and now it's two and a half months - it's a lot, so people are scattering, of course".

The Prammiakhanika plant produces industrial equipment. According to the workers, the delay in payments is explained by the debt of customers. Belaruskali, Mazyrsol, Hranit, Pinskdreu, Ivatsevichydreu and others are among the partners of the plant.

However, since March, salaries at Prammiakhanika have been delayed or paid in installments. The Belarusian Partisan website also tells about a similar problem at the Power Steering plant in Barysau.

The leader of the REP Independent Trade Union Hennadz Fiadynich:

"What happened in Hatava may happen tomorrow in any region. The statistics show that not everybody is paid the salary in due time. And I believe that this is not only a problem of the managers of these enterprises, but also a problem of the economic situation in which the enterprises operate today.

There is no trade union at Prammiachanika. And there is also no belief that if there was one, it would have an impact on something. An independent trade union can be a great help here. Moreover, according to Hennadz Fiadynich, the problems will only grow:

"If you, the managers, can't work in this condition, then gather together and say: "Aliaksandr, we can't work, we are the hostages of the system, and there are workers behind us, who are hostages as well. We can't go on like this. Can you top this, tell the truth? If no, then the workers are the hostages. The workers are telling the truth now: "We won't work for free anymore!"