Rebellion crushed

A strike of machine operators of a rural cooperative “Varanyany” Astravets district Hrodna region has been stopped. Yesterday evening a meeting was held in the cooperative. Officials of Astravets district executive committee were present there. Demands of machine operators haven’t been fulfilled. Moreover, “stirrer-ups” of the strike are threatened by dismissal.

“People have been intimidated, that’s all. Everybody has returned to work. And yesterday officials said at the meeting that we should be grateful for not being fired… The chairman of the cooperative said that separate “rebels” are in charge of everything, and that in reality everything in fine at our enterprise. Officials of the executive committee supported him. So, you see, one hand washes the other. Now we are working expecting most active of us to be fired,” told the machine operators to the Charter’97 press-center.

43 machine operators of a rural cooperative “Varanyany” Astravets district Hrodna region announced a strike on May 21. They refused to work in a field. The protest was caused by illegal firings, non-payment of bonuses and reduced wages by “Varanyany” cooperative management.

Machine operators demanded the chairman of the cooperative “Varanyany” Uladzislau Ruk to write a letter of resignation. His methods are considered illegal by machine operators. To their mind, the chairman of the cooperative is not engaged in development of the enterprise, but prefers to economize at the expense of their wages.
Source: www.charter97.org