Belarusian Realities: Collective Farm Where They Earn $35 Per Month

The officials answer to the employees that "you should work better".

"I was crying my heart out. I wasn't crying like that at my mother's funeral, as when I got this," - Natallia Huseva told Radio Svaboda. She got only 70 rubles for 27 working days. She works as a cleaner at the collective farm "Zar" in Hlusk district, Mahiliou region.

Natallia has four children, and she lives in service housing. In order not to lose her house, she has to work at the collective farm. But this money is catastrophically not enough for the family. That's why Natallia works as a part-time employee at the social service, taking care of old people.

"I clean, wash the corridors, wash the windows... I was cleaning up the territory, weeding out flowers - in short, cleaning out the farm. And that's what I got for it!"

The milkmaids who work on the same farm also complain about their earnings. Despite the fact that they work 8-9 hours a day without days off, it is not possible to earn more than 250 rubles.

First Deputy Chairman of the District Executive Committee Uladzimir Karpovich has commented that they are aware of the situation in this farm and will soon deal with it. But at the same time he notes that the district is very poor.

"We live from our production. We live from what we have done, what we have sold. And it's a vicious practice - an extra payment to the minimum wage. We should work better. And everything will be fine then," - the official said.