Picket of Trade Union of Radio Electronic Industry banned in Vitsebsk

Valery Misnikau, the legal expert of the Trade Union of Radio Electronic Industry in the Vitsebsk region, received a denial to his application for holding a picket, dedicated to social problems of the unemployed. According to Mr. Misnikau, he intended to hold a one-man picket on 8 September to express his protest against the Ruling of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus of 28 June 2013 No. 569 "On measures for implementation of the Law " On State benefits for families with children".

"I believe that the decision on the state aid is discriminatory. It affects the living conditions of certain social categories of persons, for instance, those who work less than six months. In particular, earlier the average wage for the issue of the wage during the stay on a sick leave was calcularted on the basis of the last three months, whereas now this term is six months. However, what if a person got employed just two months ago and went ill? The wage will then be divided by six, not by three, as earlier. It means that the sick person will receive less. There also other changes, such as: earlier 80% of the wage were paid for the first six days on the sick leave, and 100% were paid starting from the seventh's day, whereas now 80% will be paid during 12 days. That's why the state will save money, but the people will suffer a loss.”

The human rights defender wasn't allowed to explain this simple arythmetics to the Vitsebsk dwellers. The Chyhunachny District Police Department of Vitsebsk wrote that the action was banned on the basis of the ruling of the Vitsebsk City Executive Committee No. 881 “About the organization and holding of mass events”, according to which the organizer of a mass event must enter into service contracts with the police, medics and public utilities (who, in their turn, refuse to enter into such contracts before being presented the decision of the executive committee for the authorization of the event).