Protest actions are postponed, but the problem of preferential pensions is not solved :: Charter'97 :: News

On 5 April 2007 the Presidium of the “Belkhim” Trade Union Organization Committee at the Production Association “Belaruskaliy” decided to withdraw its application to hold the meeting of protest scheduled on 10 April at the “Stroitel” stadium in Soligorsk. The date of action is rescheduled because the House of Representatives postponed consideration of the draft Law “On Professional Pension Insurance” against which the miners were going to protest.

The Trade Union Committee Presidium as well, adopted a decision to invite representatives of the Standing Commission of the Lower Chamber [of the Parliament] on Labor, Social Protection, Affairs of Veterans and Disabled to the enterprise and to arrange negotiations on the draft Law.

In case proposals of the “Belkhim” Trade Union would not be accepted or the compromise would not be reached, the miners would carry out the protest action.

“At last the state governing bodies have noticed that everything is far from being very simple and their position is far from being absolutely right in relation to preferential pensions. It was not incidental that the [Belkhim] Trade Union Committee of the Republican Unitary Enterprise at the Production Association “Belaruskaliy” for more than 10 months has been approaching all instances on this problem, has collected more than 9 thousand signatures under the appeal to the President of the country and envisaged a protest meeting. We shall be further applying all efforts and strength, using all lawful ways to defend preferential pensions!”, - says the address of the [Belkhim] primary organization leadership to its members.

The Trade Union Committee Presidium expressed gratitude to all “Belkhim” members for solidarity and expressed confidence that in case of necessity they would show unity and would go out to the protest meeting.

It is worth reminding that on 10 April 2007 the two largest trade union primary organizations in the country - the BITU and the “Belkhim” Trade Union primary organization of workers of the Production Association “Belaruskaliy” were going to hold mass protest actions against adopting the Law that might deprive of pensions the early retired pensioners that go on working in harmful working conditions.