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.

Aleh Stakhayevich, local leader of the independent trade union, says that he pressure is due Siarhei Katsuba’s involvement in a recent open letter by “Granite” employees in support of the workers of the enterprise “Kovry Bresta” (“Brest Carpets”).

“We supported the employees of “Kovry Bresta” in an open address. The following day there was a reaction. After that conversation, Siarhei immediately called and said he might have to stop paying membership fees to the Belarusian Independent Trade Union,” says Aleh Stakhayevich.

According to Siarhei Katsuba, he was summoned by chief engineer of “Granite” Valery Batura, head of the vehicle depot Aliaksandar Kisluk and head of the official trade union at the enterprise Tatsiana Harbenka.

“I do not know. Maybe, corruption is so strong that the independent trade union that does not allow them to develop. But the “pressure” was huge. I have two children. My son is a student. My daughter is finishing school. If anything happens, they’ll just fire me. It is easy to find fault with a person at work. We had here Pashechka fired last year. And he has two small children, the youngest is not even in kindergarten. They did not feel pity for them,” says Siarhei Katsuba.

Siarhei Katsuba has been employed as a driver at “Granite” for 29 years. He says he is afraid that he cannot help the children if he is fired.