Political activist twice denied employment

After an attempt to find a job through the employment center in Mikaševičy Vital Kalinouski, a member of the Belarusian Social Democratic Party (Hramada) is convinced that the authorities will label political and civic activists as “social parasites”.

First, an employee of the center sent Vital Kalinouski to Norvud Plus firm, which had a vacancy, and from which he had been fired for running in the local elections. Kalinouski visited the company and learned that the vacancy had already been filled the previous day. The officer of the social employment center said it was rather strange, because she had asked the firm's director about the vacancy before recommending the job to Mr. Kalinouski.

Next, Vital Kalinouski was sent to the collective farm in the village of Liubań to look after calves. The worker of the personnel department of the collective farm Katsiaryna Yermalionak was very glad to get a young worker, but proposed him to become a shepherd. Vital Kalinouski agreed, but warned that he was a member of a political party and engaged in civic activities, and would struggle for his rights if the conditions of his work changed. Then Katsiaryna Yermalionak said that they didn't need such workers and offered him to go to the head of the collective farm, so that he would sign the document that somebody else had been employed to the vacancy. The head of the farm eagerly signed the document stating that the vacancy had been filled.