The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

26.03.2013 Babruisk: Administration of state-owned enterprise supports only official trade union

The administration of the Babruisk-based Plant of Tractor Parts and Units (PTPU) continues to harass members of the independent trade union. Lately, the workers have been baited with financial rewards. Mikhail Kavalkou, chairman of the FTU’s local office, says that employees were promised payment up to one million rubles for leaving the independent trade union.

20.03.2013 Employer in Polatsk unwilling to reinstate trade union activist

The Polatsk Town Court held yesterday a preliminary hearing on the suit lodged by Viktar Stukau, activist of the Free Trade Union, who was sacked by his employer at the Polatsk-Shklovalakno state-owned enterprise. The parties have had the opportunity to come to terms, if the company’s administration supported the demands brought by the activist. However, this did not happen, and the trial will continue.

18.03.2013 Free trade union leader to sue employer over dismissal

Viktar Stukau, activist of the Free Trade Union of Belarus, fired for allegedly violating safety rules, is suing his employer. He believes that the administration of the Polatsk-Shklovalakno state-owned enterprise initiated his dismissal on spurious reasons, and the true cause for it was his activities in the independent trade union. The lawsuit is expected to be heard today at Polatsk Town Court.

07.03.2013 "Granite": harmful conditions of work decreased only on paper

Workers of the "Granite" enterprise keep returning to the independent trade union after the abridgment of facilities.

04.03.2013 Workers are proposed money for leaving independent trade union

Tractor Details and Aggregates Plant can be left without independent trade union as a result. Co-existence of two trade union organizations, the independent and the official one – dissatisfies the administration of the Babruisk enterprise. Workers are proposed wage bonuses (up to 1 million rubles) for leaving the independent trade union.

25.02.2013 Another Granit’s trade union activist faces the threat of being fired

The administration of Granit undertook a new attack on the members of the independent trade union.

28.01.2013 Ongoing harassment of independent trade union activists at Granite enterprise

Siarhei Katsuba, driver at the “Granite” state-owned enterprise, is urged to leave the independent trade union, Radio Racyja reports. Katsuba said that if he did not leave the union, he might lose his job.

07.01.2013 Number of activists of independent trade union at "Granite" still decreased by persecution

According to the head of the independent trade union organization at the Mikashevich-based plant "Granite", Ales Stakhayevich, at the beginning of 2012 the organization included about 300 workers, whereas now there are only about ten activists.

14.12.2012 Members of Free Trade Union fired from "Shklovalakno" plant

According to the collective agreement, the employer must ask the trade union for permission to fire people. The free trade union does not allow firing their leaders, RFE/RL reports.

13.12.2012 Worker justified, but wage bonus not returned

The Maskouski District Court of Brest considered the lawsuit of an operator of the ammonium refrigerating plants of the "Savushkin Product" open corporation Uladzimir Andrashuk, and took a half-hearted decision.

05.12.2012 Mahiliou court: dismissed trade-union activist Aliaksei Paulouski not allowed to copy the materials of his case

The judge of the Leninski District Court of Mahiliou Yuliya Trapynina not allowed Aliaksei Paulouski to take photos of the materials of the court case against the Mahiliou house-building combine.

03.12.2012 Harassment of members of independent trade union continues at “Granit”

This time the it concerns the excavator operator Leanid Dubanosau, a member of the Independent Trade Union. The administration of the Mikashevichy-based state enterprise demands that he refused from paying the membership fees for the independent trade union through the accounting department.

29.11.2012 Dangerous precedent in Mahiliou – Aliaksei Paulouski not employed because of the “disagreement of the staff”

On 27 November the judge of the Leninski District Court of Mahiliou Yuliya Trapynina turned down the lawsuit of the activist of the Independent Trade Union of Radio-Electronic Industry Aliaksei Paulouski, thus denying the fact of adverse discrimination during his attempts to get employed.

27.11.2012 “Granit” becomes an unreliable enterprise

The Mikashevichy-based state enterprise “Granit” has been put on a list of suspicious enterprises by the International Labor Organization due to regular violations of rights of members of the independent trade union.