8 October, 2014IndustriALL affiliates in Belarus have commemorated the Global Day of action to STOP Precarious Work with a number of activities.
On 7 October activists of the IndustriALL affiliate Belarusian Radio and Electronic Industry Workers' Union, REP held actions on the World Day for Decent Work.
The protesters handed out leaflets and union newsletters in different cities of the Belarus including Minsk, Gomel, Brest, Vitebsk, Grodno, Mogilev, Bobruisk, Baranovichi, Zhodino, Smalyavichy and Borisov.
To raise the public awareness on the issue of precarious work and the Global Day of action against it union activists distributed leaflets and other materials near the factories, in the markets, at bus stops and other public places.
IndustriALL affiliate Free Trade Union of Metalworkers, SPM tried to organize pickets in five cities of the country. Unfortunately despite their declared peaceful nature the authorities denied them all. Notwithstanding the obstruction of the authorities SPM together with other independent trade unions held a number of actions dedicated to the World Day for Decent Work.
SPM activists in Minsk distributed a special edition of the newspaper ‘Rabochee slovo’ (Worker’s word) describing the situation of workers at Belarusian enterprises where administrative arbitrariness rules and where stranglehold of short-term contracts almost turns workers into semi-slaves, limiting their rights, freedoms and seeding fear everywhere.
At the gates to the Minsk Automobile Factory (one of the biggest in the country) the entire edition of the newspaper ‘Rabochee slovo’ has been distributed among workers in 15-20 minutes. Some of them while picking up the newspaper regretted that these actions are not often taking place. Others made quite strong statements against the management of the factory.
Another Belarusian affiliate of IndustriALL, the Independent trade union of Miners at JSC Belaruskali, held a meeting of the Council of Representatives on the World Day for Decent Work. Valery Kiryenka, General Director of the potash producing company Belaruskali took part in the meeting focused on discussion of the working conditions and wages at Belaruskali. The enterprise is one of the biggest producers and exporters of potash fertilizers in the world.
For more details, follow the link on the union website.