Gomselmash plant works three days a week

The plant has worked from Tuesday till Thursday this week.

The crisis at Gomselmash has been continuing for almost a year. Belarus's biggest combine harvester manufacturer suspended its work again this week. It worked only on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. On February 27, most workers had to take a leave with the payment of two-thirds of the salary or an unpaid leave for family reasons, Radio Svaboda reports.

All plants of Gomselmash – the main plant, the plant of self-propelled combine harvesters, the plant of foundry and standards, the plant of special instruments and technological equipment – didn't work on February 27, as well as on February 20 and 23. Only supply departments and some lines that work on schedule continued to work.

A worker of the plant of self-propelled combine harvesters, who wants to remain anonymous, says about forced leaves.

“The plant has an official day off today. Our line, which works on schedule, continues to operate. I work as a setter. The situation is bad. They decrease and delay wages. Production volumes fell, so our wages do not grow,” he says.

A young heat treatment operator advises to ask his managers about how to live. He and his wife have to borrow money if parents do not help them.

“You'd better ask our managers how we are supposed to live. They do not pay wages. They promised to pay the January wages by February 25, but we have nothing so far. People have no money to pay their loans. All complain they cannot pay. The plant cannot sell our products. We take new loans to pay the old loans. Our parents help us. I work as a heat treat operator at the plant of forage harvesters. We don't have work. The plant has no orders. We are on holidays and receive two-thirds of the salary. In my case, it is 40,000 a day,” he says.

The main plant is idle, too.

“I am a lathe operator at the main plant. We don't have metal and components. The plant has huge debts for electricity and other things. They promised to buy metal, but didn't pay in advance. We used to sell products to Russia and Ukraine. You know what they have in Ukraine now. What about Russia, they say they can pay in rubles, but our managers want payments in dollars,” the worker says.

He doesn't know if he will be able to work there a few more years until pension. Young workers are even in a more difficult situation. No one knows what to expect.

“My supervisor says 'Go to the manager' and the manager says 'Go to the director'. Today is February 27. They promised to pay the January wages by February 25, but we haven't received them. Wages depend on the category you have. I have the sixth category. They pay two-thirds of the salary if you are on a leave. It is 120,000 rubles. If we take such leaves, we have some money. Last year, our wages reduced by 1 or 1.5 million. It is a serious sum for my family budget,” a Gomselmash worker says.

The lathe operator doesn't believe the statements that the Belarusian economy is stable and works well.

“These are only words. It is not so in reality. As far as I know, plants in Minsk and the rest of Belarus are in a similar situation. I want to work until pension, which is in two years. Nobody knows what happens tomorrow. What should young people do? People have to pay home loans by the 20th or 25th day every month. Today is February 27, but we don't have our wages,” he says.

Another Gomselmash worker says not all employees who had to take leave receive two-thirds of salary.

“We have to take an unpaid leave for family reasons. Or they make us take leaves and pay us two-thirds of the salary. We didn't work on Friday last week and on Monday and today this week. It is a terrible situation,” she says.

Gomselmash is running downhill since it lost the right for the government's preferences. It was transferred into a holding company, but nothing has changed significantly. Even Russia doesn't want to buy Gomselmash combines, which cannot compete in the EU market. The plant has huge debts. Mikhail Miasnikovich, a former MP and now the speaker of upper house of the “parliament, visited the plant two weeks ago and said the debt was over 5 trillion rubles.

Gomselmash workers hoped Miasnikovich would help, but the hopes are disappearing.

“People said Miasnikovich promised to help us. But the plant was later ordered to look for sales markets without someone else's help. They say to make new products and try to cope yourself,” workers say.