Workers of Mahiliou Repairs Plant Sue the Authorities

The shareholders of Mahiliou repairs lodged a claim on the actions of the enterprise authorities and the regional officials to the commercial court.

At present the debt of the joint-stock company comprises 2.5 billion Belarusian rubles. For financial rehabilitation the company was advised to sell its total stock to the state. The people are not against saving the enterprise, but they do not approve the methods used by the management and the regional officials.

Thus at the shareholders’ meeting they were advised to vote the order on the company’s restructuring without getting acquainted with the draft. Those who were against left the room. Several dozen people lodged claims to the commercial court.

The lawyer of the independent trade union of radio-electronic industry Aliaksandr Karaliou thinks that the truth is on the workers’ side. ’I can’t predict the court’s judgment. Probably it won’t be to the benefit of the workers. But nonetheless they are right. Nobody can deprive them of their shares without their agreement. They may further apply to international structures for protecting their rights,’ Karaliou says.

Mr. Karaliou reminded about a similar situation at Tekhnaprybor Mahiliou enterprise. But the workers there did not resist and the shares soon were transferred to the state.

Aliaksandr Karaliou says that a definite trend of joint-stock companies deprivatization can be traced in Mahiliou. The lawyer supposes that the artificial privatization of enterprises was not worth it.

’Recently the shares have depreciated. Those who invested in them get no dividends. But still nobody may take them away. Let their investments be reimbursed in consideration of the inflation.’

The Mahiliou enterprise specializes in motor and fuel equipment repairing. About 3 000 people work there.