Workers of Factory In Krupki Demand Their Wages For 2013

The CEO, appointed by Lukashenka, ran away to his home country – the Russian Federation.

16 former employees of the “Krupki horticultural plant” JSC have not received their wages for 2013 by now, while their CEO is on the run in Russia.

BelSAT TV-channel talked to the former workers of the enterprise.

Salaries got cut by half in 3 years

In the backyard of the Krupki horticultural plant nothing rings the bell that this enterprise ever worked. The sign over the lodge is covered by the signboard of the auto parts store.

– Seryoga, what are you doing – sitting here? There are many apples this year, switch on the conveyer belt, make yourself some wine, – Liudmila, who used to work as a secretary here, jokes.

– There is no water and no electricity; – the watchman is guarding the empty territory of the plant every night.

16 former employees have not received their wages for 2013 by now.

Alena worked here as a conveyer line operator and as a storekeeper just before the plant closed. The enterprise owes her Br 15 million: the wage of Br 1,3 million for 10 months plus Br 2 million, added up after the court trial. Given the dollar rate of March 2013, since when the woman hasn’t received her wages, this makes about $ 1700. Today, when she finally receives all the earned money, it will be less than $800.

The “Krupki horticultural plant” JSC owes the same sum to commodity expert Liudmila.

The women say these are not the biggest debts before the former employees. In total, the enterprise should pay its former employees Br 570 million or about $ 30 000. The district newspaper Krupski Vestnik published this figure in March 2016. The appeal of the company “Partner-Consultant” which carried out the liquidation of the plant was the only public information for the former employees of the enterprise.

Alena says that the lack of information makes them nervous more than the long process of the plant’s liquidation and selling its property, as it is unclear what is going on.

“They are probably waiting till the inflation eats my salary to some $ 100, to take it out of the pocket and give it to me,” – the woman has said.

Whether it’s a coincidence or not, but during the meeting between belsat.eu and Alena and Liudmila, they got a phone call from the district executive committee. The deputy chairman on economic issues and the representative of the “Partner-Consultant” JSC met with the women. They gave them no money but promised to keep them aware and inform when there will be the finance to pay them their unpaid salaries.

The Russian investor hides in Russia

In the end of 2010, the Russian citizen Sergey Maneyev became the CEO of Krupki horticultural plant under Lukashenka’s decree.

He received the stocks of the unprofitable enterprise for the sum of $ 100 000 free of charge. According to the information of the newspaper Belarus Today, at that moment the enterprise had Br 1,8 billion of debts as for taxes and fees which the new owner had to pay within 11 years. Also, according to the sponsorship contract, Maneyev was supposed to create 50 jobs, invest $ 200 000 into elaboration of recycle, and start exporting the production.

The labour contract with the investor was made till August 2016.

The plant’s former employee Luidmila says 40 people worked here. The new CEO conducted renovation and upgraded the territory. The apple processing line, which never worked before, started working in his presence. They bought fruit, squeezed juice and sold it to the plants which made fruit wine.

In March 2013, Sergey Maneyev went on vacation to Russia and never returned to Belarus. Inspections from the State Control, from the Economic Crimes Department started visiting the plant. A year later, the public prosecution of Krupki district started a criminal case against the investor under Part 4 Article 210 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus (Theft through abuse of power). In a year, the extraordinary meeting of the enterprise’s shareholders decided to liquidate the plant. This process has lasted since then.

According to the official information, as there is no money on the plant’s account, the property is on sale. 20 real estate objects had not been registered, so, in order to put them on sale, it is necessary to go all the way from inventory to assessment. And this means extra expenses and time. What are those 20 objects, Alena and Liudmila have no idea. They only confidently mentioned the unregistered house with a sauna, where Sergey Maneyev lived.

It is interesting that, before the Krupki plant, this very businessman headed a similar manufacture in Lyuban. According to the information in the media, he received a loss-making preserves workshop of the collective farm “Rassvet”. As soon as the enterprise started making profit, local officials allegedly demanded to pass them the majority stake.

What did the people stay with?

Liudmila, Alena and another their colleague managed to quit only a year after Maneyev’s disappearance. As there was no CEO, no one could sign a corresponding order, until the acting director was appointed.

“The people couldn’t find a job in Krupki for 2 years. Now they found employment – someone as a janitor, someone as a seller,” – the women say.

A court trial took place in Krupki under their lawsuit.

“They tell us we have all the documents, urge us to go to the court officials, to demand. Whom should we demand anything from?”

They complain that they learn the things, on which it depends when they will get the earned money, accidentally. For example, they found out from the watchmen that they sold the plant’s MAZ truck, the prime mover SCANIA and “Gazel”, and are going to give away the broken “Zhiguli” for scrap.

“I am starting taking offence. We worked in winter, in the cold water on the conveyer line, and they treat us like this,” – Alena says.