Vladimir Goncharik Quits FTU Chairman Seat :: Charter'97 :: News

Vladimir Goncharik leaves the post of the chairman of the Free Trade Union of Belarus owing to his appointment as deputy chair of the Universal confederation of trade unions – organization, uniting the largest professional centers of the CIS states. Goncharik himself said this at the December 22 session of the FTU Council’s presidium. BelaPAN quotes chair of the trade union of car-building and agricultural industry Alexander Bukhvostov as saying that on December 21 Goncharik paid a visit to Moscow, where his new appointment was approved. According to Bukhvostov, Goncharik’s determination to give up his former post came as no surprise to them.

He stated his desire to move to another job at the FTU plenum on December 6, which upheld the present-day FTU leadership. Goncharik will head the Federation until December 28 – the day of the extra-curricular plenary, due to settle down the question about the organization’s leadership. According to the FTU statute, the chairman of the Federation is appointed and dismissed upon the congress’s decision. However, if the chairman resigns out of his own volition, this issue can be resolved even by the plenum. Alexander Bukhvostov doesn’t rule out the possibility that a new person to be appointed FTU chair can be first Goncharik’s deputy Frants Vitko. At the moment the man is placed in charge of the economic issues in the Federation.

Predicting the FTU’s further relations with the authorities, Alexander Bukhvostov declared: “Provided the present-day FTU policy is preserved, the decisions of the 3rd congress and plenum being fulfilled, the Federation will operate the way it does now. However, in the event there occurs an attempt to compromise with the authorities (we got some folks here who may give up their very principles in order to live well), then the division may be undertaken.”

When asked whether Goncharik’s decision to switch his job has been provoked by threats, emanating from the presidential Administration, Bukhvostov replied: “Let’s not bind these two events into one, please”. Concerning Vladimir Goncharik’s future activities, he, being now deputy chair of the Universal confederation of trade unions, intends to work in Minsk, as far as he is responsible for the UCTU’s relations with Belarus. Moreover, said Bukhvostov, Goncharik chairs the coordination council, which functions within the framework of cooperation with the Federation of independent trade unions of Russia and FTU.

Vladimir Goncharik was appointed FTU chair back in 1986. The last time he got re-elected into office was in October 2000 during the 3rd FTU congress. In autumn this year he ran for the president of Belarus, being selected as the unique candidate for the presidency from the wide public coalition.