Naftan workers trade union sues Navapolatsk city executive committee

On 2 May the primary organization of the Belarusian Independent Trade Union (BITU) comprised of Naftan workers registered a claim suing Navapolatsk city executive committee.

Praca-by.info learnt that from the organization’s leader Ivan Sviatokha.

Their only demand to the authorities is to abrogate the decision on the annulment of registration of the BITU primary organization’s agreement to join the collective agreement.

Earlier representatives of the independent trade union appealed against the city executive committee’s actions to Viciebsk region executive committee. But, according to Ivan Sviatokha, they responded beside the point.

- The response was beside the point, it was nonsense. It said that the city executive committee had made a right decision, because our organization should have reconciled the additional agreement with the state trade union. They also wrote that we introduced changes into the collective agreement, although we did not! In short, it is a complete nonsense, just a response beside the point, - the interlocutor pointed out. – We stick to our position: the registration with the city executive committee was annulled unlawfully. We do not have to reconcile the additional agreement, concluded with the employer, with the Belkhim Trade Union. There is no such stipulation anywhere!

It is yet unknown when the trial takes place. But Ivan Sviatokha points out that the BITU will fight for restoring the justice till the end.

- The truth is one hundred percent on our side. But how it goes in court… We know how it is done here. This is not the supreme instance, there are region court and the court of the republic, there is arbitration, there is the International Labour Organization. We will go all the way, we will not stop. The trade union’s honor has been offended, how many times can they insult us?