Alena Zakhozhaia Is Signed out from Hospital. The hunger-strike Continues
Source: www.charter97.org
On 6 November the worker of Belshyna enterprise Alena Zakhozhaia was discharged from the Central city hospital of Babruisk. As her son Iauhen told, a council of physicians had preceded her discharge. ‘The head of pulmonology unit Uladzimir Hatsko told that her blood pressure had been normalized and heart condition improved,’ Iauhen said. At the same time he emphasized that as before his mother refuses to eat. According to Iauhen, doctors said that Alena Zakhozhaia can return to work the day when she was signed out. He also told that leaving hospital, his mother felt unwell and she fell down.
It’s worth reminding that the trade union activist is carrying out the huger strike since 3 October. The woman demands local authorities to register a primary organization of the Belarusian Independent Trade Union. Belshyna should provide the primary organization with a legal address for that, but the employer refuses to do so. Besides, she demands to pay bonuses and allowances for health promotion received by other workers of the enterprise. Earlier the administration of Belshyna, Belnaftakhim concern and the city court of Babruisk refused to consider the suit of the primary organization of the Belarusian Independent Trade Union at Belshyna.
On 1-2 November talks between representatives of the Belarusian Independent Trade Union and leadership of Belshyna were held. As said by the chairman of the BITU Vasil Korabau to the BelaPAN, the sides had reached an agreement on issues of paying bonuses and health promotion allowances for members of the independent trade union. He also told that the issue of suspending the hunger strike is to be considered on 9-10 November.
On 9 November Alena Zakhozhaia continued her hunger-strike. ‘Today the director Iauhen Khvalko told me that I do not have enough tasks, and sent me to wash equipment. Now I do that, standing on my knees, because I am weak. I am in an awful state. I am aching all over, but I cannot even take pills. I am prohibited to go to take warm water, and I cannot drink cold water. I want to bang my head against the wall because of pain. I could hardly expect to face fascism in reality, when I have been reading books about Nazi as a child,’ Alena Zakhozhaia said to the Charter’97 press-center.
As said by the trade union activist, it is possible that the leadership of the enterprise could fire her for ‘incompetence’, as she can move with difficulty, and it’s getting more and more difficult to work for her. ‘Anyway, they do not care at all what would happen to me. They are waiting for my death, and in case I would be dismissed, it would be easier for them, I would die outside the factory,’ Mrs. Zakhozhaia says.
The woman said she is not going to stop the hunger strike. Her state of health is getting worse with every day. She has blood pressure, heart and kidney problems. ‘In fact, everything is aching. I cannot bear the pain without painkillers any more,’ she says. Workers of the enterprise are supporting the woman as they can. ‘When the administration cannot see, they can do something instead of me. They are supporting me morally,’ the woman said.
