Siarhei Naumchyk: If Strikers Do Not Negotiate With Lukashenka, They May Win

The authorities want to draw the workers into the "negotiation process".

In April 1991, when the all-out strike began and the second day political demands came to the first place (resignation of the pro-communist Supreme Soviet), the strikers had a good chance to achieve their goals, Belarusian journalist and politician Siarhei Naumchyk writes in his Telegram Channel. It became clear when the workers of Vorsha sat on the rails and traffic on the most important railway lines of the European part of the USSR stopped.

In those days, one part of the strike committee was in favor of a total victory, while the other part was in favor of a combination of a strike and negotiations with the authorities. As it turned out later, the main goal of the Communist party Central Committee's leadership was to involve the workers in discussions and negotiations. As a result, salaries were raised and prices were lowered, not a single political demand was met, and after a while prices rose even higher.

It seems that the authorities have chosen the same tactics even now. Representatives of the administration and paid-up "ideologists" have already been sent to the enterprises. It is not ruled out that Lukashenka himself will also participate in the negotiations.

The success of the current strikers will depend not so much on the scale of the strike but on whether the strikers manage not to succumb to urging and start negotiations until the main requirement - Lukashenka's resignation - is fulfilled.