Management of the Brest Pedagogical University blackmails SPB members :: Charter'97 :: News

Leadership of primary organization of the Belarusian Free Trade Union (SPB) workers of the Brest State Pedagogical University named after A. S. Pushkin was forced to move out four activists from structure of the organization. As Valentine Lazarenkov, Chairperson of the organization informed, such decision was taken after the management set up a condition to these people: work in exchange for quitting trade union.

Valentine Lazarenkov mentioned that in the near future terms of contracts of these four professors come to an end. Two weeks ago Anna Sender, First Pro-Rector of the University “invited” them for a conversation. During this conversation Ms. Sender warned professors that earlier anonymous letters about them had been received, which then have not been given due attention. However, she said that such letters can appear in the future. Therefore, she suggested professors to reconsider their relations with SPB. Having found out about it, SPB leadership made a decision to move these people out of the organization.

“We do not condemn them, says Valentine Lazarenkov. “We were forced to move them out, what else shall we do. These are one of the best professors, respected people, three from them - senior lecturers, candidates of sciences. Certainly, they have the right to continue their work and our right is to make the facts of pressure available to public.

In the nearest future trade union leadership will direct the information about the facts of interference into internal affairs and about discrimination on trade union principle to Alexander Radkov, Minister of Education and Natalia Petkevich, Deputy Head of Administration of the President [of the Republic of Belarus]. The Belarusian Congress of Democratic Trade Unions, of which SPB is a member organization, in turn will inform the International Labor Organization about actions of the Brest Pedagogical University Rector and Pro-Rector, which are in no way coordinate with implementation of the ILO recommendations. On the contrary, similar facts may negatively affect the ILO Governing Body decision, which this November will examine once again the Belarus question and sum up results of implementation of the ILO recommendations.

Leadership of SPB and BCDTU addresses to the international academic circles, to trade union movement and requests directing letters of protest against actions of management of the Brest State Pedagogical University named after A. S. Pushkin addressed to Rector Mecheslav E. Chesnovsky via facsimile: +375 162 230 996