Market vendors ready for new strikes

Market vendors do not plan to work with accompanying documents for the goods imported to the Customs Union beginning November 1.

Viachaslau Pilipuk, the deputy head of the organisation of small businessmen “Perspective”, told Radio Racyja that representatives of the state asked market vendors if they plan to start working with accompanying documents on November 1, but businessmen answer it is impossible to get necessary papers at wholesale markets in Moscow.

An attempt to oblige small businessmen to carry out certification at their own expense led to the national strike this summer. Market vendors were allowed to work without accompanying documents until November 1 and without certificates until Jule 1, 2014: “They say beginning November 1 we need to have documents for every item we sell. The transition period will last until July 1, 2014. They say no sanctions will be imposed, but it doesn't solve the problem.”

Iryna Yaskevich from Vitebsk, the head of the organising committee to create the trade union “Together”, thinks officials should say the real expenses on certification for businessmen. Officials say about 370,000 rubles when they speak about declaring goods, but it is not true, Iryna Yaskevich notes:

“Only the document itself costs 300,000 rubles. To confirm the quality of goods, sellers need to have tests. One test costs from 1 million to 1.2 million. So the total cost is from 2.5 million and higher.”

Market vendors warn that they will go on strike again if the authorities break their promise not to punish those working without accompanying documents after November 1.