Kozik in Granit bullied and lied

Workers shocked by meeting with chairman of the Federation of Trade Unions.

Chairman of the Federation of Trade Unions of Belarus (FPB) Leonid Kozik visited the company Granit, extracting stone in Mikashevichy, where he met with the leaders and workers of the plant. According to one of the meeting participants, the FPB head said that Europe would pay $100 for every person, "pulled out" by independent trade unions from the FPB.

Leonid Kozik also warned Granit workers about a situation where "free trade unions burn cars in Europe." At the same time, he said that free trade unions of Navapolatsk Naftan, which, according to him, included 22 people, aimed to guide the company, informed the Belarusian service of Radio "Liberty," which had been reported by worker Vasili present at the meeting.

"It’s nonsense to say that we are paid for "pulling" people out of the official trade union. Kozik shows that he is such a system figure, as the rest of our system, aimed at fooling people," said leader of the independent trade union at Granit Oleg Stahaevich.

In December 2011, about 600 Granit workers withdrew from the trade union organization, because they were not satisfied with the trade union and low wage.

Then, about 430 Granit workers filed an application for dismissal, because the salary of $200-400 was not enough for them. But the company leadership refused to dismiss its workers without their monthly work-out.