Family with many children thrown in the street in Hrodna

A public association Hrodnapromstroy is trying to evict a family having many children from a dormitory by the means of a legal action.

The authorities and official media refused to intervene into the situation. The charter97.org web-site learnt that from a Hrodna resident Iryna Bojka. She together with three children and husband Aliaksandr Bojka have lived in Hrodnapromstroy’s dormitory for over a year after the husband has got employed by the construction administration number 210.

“The court ruled to evict us in half a year without the provision of another accommodation. It all started because of the salary. The husband worked for Hrodnapromstroy. They cheated with the salary calculation. We started fighting for justice, in the end the husband was fired for absenteeism from work. What actually happened was that he phoned and asked the foreman for a day-off. He was granted one, but the following day they told him to work two Saturdays without a payment, which he did not agree with. In the result he got fired”, - Iryna Bojka told.

The woman complained to different instances, but the officials respond that according to the husband’s labour contract, the accommodation was only provided for the time he was working there.

“We actually have nowhere to go. I went to Ivan Zhuk (the deputy chairman of the region’s executive committee). His answer was: you must vacate the dormitory. I went to the chairman of the region’s executive committee. What he said was incomprehensible: no one ever fired anyone for one case of being absent at work, how the foreman must had been sick of the husband’s absenteeism that he filed a report. These were the words of Siamion Shapira. In the end, if we do not leave in half a year, they will evict us to the street like dogs. Or should I send the children to an orphanage? I do not know where else to appeal for justice”, - Iryna Bojka says.

Photo: RFE/RL