Mikhail Kaval’kou: Protests And Spontaneous Strikes Might Burst Out In Autumn

Wages have not been rising for several years, and prices for goods and services have significantly increased during this period.

Chairman of Belarusian Free Trade Union (BFTU) Mikhail Kaval’kou has told praca-by.info, how Babruisk enterprises are functioning.

– In spite of the small production volumes, companies have switched to a full working week. Apparently, such an order has been given in connection with the parliamentary elections. However, it doesn’t help hidden unemployment. “TAiM” (a plant for production of brake systems and mechanisms, part of the holding BelavtoMAZ) used to work 3-4 days a week, now some full-time employees work two-thirds of the tariff rate, but all at once, as it used to be. Though the four-day working week was more profitable: it was possible to save some electricity, for example.

I’ve talked to workers from different enterprises, they do not see any prospects in the near future and think that the situation will become even worse. People say in simple words: it’s gonna be really sucky. Babruisk plant of tractor parts and units delayed the payment of salaries last month. The delay was little, but, anyway, it was a violation of the collective agreement. Wages have not been raised for several years already, while the prices for goods and services have increased significantly during this period. The salaries are mainly around 500 rubles in the city, people are eating up their cash savings.

Workers continue to express their dissatisfaction to each other in smoking rooms, so I do not think that any protests will break out in the autumn. Probably, only unpaid salaries can push them to such actions. Only then spontaneous stoppages and strikes may occur, – Mikhail Kaval’kou said.