Babruisk: fired members of Free Trade Union continue hunger-strike near the plant administration

Four retired members of the Free Trade Union of Belarus, fired from the Tractor Details and Aggregates Plant, continue hungering for the second day already.

Today Aliaksandr Hramyka, Aleh Shauchenka, Aliaksandr Varankin and Mikalai Zhybul stand near the entrance of the plant administration together with the head of the primary unit of the trade union Mikhail Kavalkou. A member of the trade union Henadz Labachou joined their hunger-strike at his working place.

“So far, there is no visible reaction on the part of the administration. The head of the Information and Legal Department came up and talked with us for a long time, but about nothing,” says Mikhail Kavalkou. “I applied to the city executive committee and warned that I would seek an appointment with the head of the regional executive committee Piatro Rudnik, if the local authorities don't care. I was promised that next week our issue would be considered by Chair of the Babruisk City Executive Committee. Let's see what will happen, as the fired FTUB members are going to continue their hunger-strike next week if everything remains as it is.”

The hunger-strikers say they may be joined by their colleagues from Babruisk and other cities of Belarus.

“Mikalai Zhybul, Aliaksandr Varankin, Aliaksandr Hramyka and Aleh Shauchenka received many telephone calls with words of support. The factory workers discuss their open letter to Lukashenka and the hunger-strike. The people disagree that high-quality specialists can be easily thrown out of the plant,” adds Mr. Kavalkou.