Henadz Fiadynich To Authorities: Situation Cannot Be Reversed

• 21.09.2020, 17:14

People have the right to defend their political interests.

The leader of the REP trade union Henadz Fiadynich commented to Radio Racya on the new initiative of the General Prosecutor's Office, which is going to bring a claim against the striking workers of Belaruskali.

- This initiative is a kind of absurdity. There is such a concept - profit, which was missed. So let the Prosecutor's Office calculate how much was lost if the enterprise could not sell the products in due time. And today, demanding something from the people who were on strike is, to put it mildly, wrong. If the claimants did not have an economic point to the employer, then I do not know how the court would solve this problem. Our political strikes are not regulated by the law. Although, according to the Constitution, workers have the right to strike. And it doesn't say whether it is political or economic. People have the right to defend their political interests, which is exactly what the Belaruskali strikers did. But if they start collecting money from people, then the workers need solidarity. Then the employer will think about what he is doing.

It seems to me that it is too late to intimidate people, since the situation will never be the same. Of course, the miners are not the same as they were in the 90s, but I think that there are enough strong people now. It seems to me that the Belarusian independent trade union, which exists there, should make a statement and warn the heads of the enterprise and express no trust in them if they begin to put pressure on the workers.