Henadz Fedynich About Striking Workers: These Are the Best Personnel, They Are the Future
- 9.02.2021, 13:24
- 2,194
Any strike must be prepared.
After the elections, Belarusian workers marched for the first time in 30 years and joined the protesters across Belarus. The Minsk Tractor Plant of Wheeled Tractors workers showed Lukashenka, who came to them, who is the boss at the enterprise and in the country. The website Charter97.org talked about the situation at the factories with the leader of the independent trade union REP Henadz Fedynich.
- How do you assess the scale of the performances of the Belarusian workers in August-September 2020? Can we say that we have a fsolidary and responsible working class?
- I would not be in a hurry to say so because any strike must be prepared. Our strikes were not properly prepared, and everything was done in a hurry; therefore, in my opinion, the result is not what it could have been.
We must constantly learn about solidarity. Unfortunately, in 26 years, the working class has forgotten how to be solidary and was not sufficiently informed about what it was for and why it was needed.
- "Every day, we see new workers joining the strike. In addition, many leave the official FTUB and join independent trade unions, including the REP. What is the situation at the factories in Belarus now? What are the moods in the teams?
- I want to say that if people join the strike, then honor and praise them, but there is not enough of them to solve not only social but also political issues.
With all due respect to the workers of Belaruskali, these are courageous deeds, but I will repeat once again that this is not enough today for the economic and political requirements to be met.
As for the factories, the federation ordered to change the trade union committees' collective agreements; now, they apply only to the members of the FPB. Some people were alarmed, some were intimidated. Of course, no matter what, this is not needed; people left the trade unions. We know such facts in trolleybus parks that they were deprived of their vacations there. We believe this is illegal. For us, this is the 14th article of the Labor Code, discrimination based on the affiliation of trade union members. Sooner or later, I'm sure this situation will be different.
- None of the demands that the workers put forward to power were fulfilled. What could be the catalyst for new protests in factories?
- Firstly, the socio-economic situation. Unfortunately, today the federation or anybody else does not deal with the trade union topics; these are working conditions, wages. Prices rise, but wages do not rise like prices. If inflation for the year was not 5%, but 7.4%, this has not gone anywhere, and everything went to pricing. Therefore, no matter how trite it may sound, the people can rise because of the deteriorated socio-economic situation - an insufficient level of wages.
It is because of such things that the people can rise today since representatives of the authorities and heads of enterprises stand behind this.
- You said recently, assessing the chances of the labor movement and trade unions in the fight against the authorities: "Although the forces at this stage are unequal, the victory will be for those for whom the truth is." What are your optimism and confidence based on?
- I am optimistic about those new people who came to the trade union; they gradually come and leave [state - ed.] trade unions. These are possibly the best shots. They are good specialists who are not afraid to be fired, and these people are the future because they know what they want. Naturally, you need to bide your time and prepare for a defensive reaction from the working class if it continues to be oppressed in factories. It just doesn't go away.
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