Oppositionist registered with KGB for defence of workers’ rights
- 3.02.2010, 15:36
After articles in independent mass media an activist of the Independent Trade Union of Belarus Mikalai Rasyuk is fired out and checked by special services.
The management of construction trust number 17 in Mahilyou stated that the work contract won’t be extended with Mikalai Rasyuk, a worker of the enterprise and an activist of the Free Trade Union of Belarus.
At the same time, Radio Svaboda informs, a file on him was kept by the KGB (the State Security Committee). The activist believes that the reasons for persecution and denial to extend a contract with him are political.
Mikalai Rasyuk has been working as an electrical technician in the construction organization for 7 years. In May 2009 when he challenged the decision on transferring him from Mahilyou to Chavusy district, representatives of the administration said in the court he is the best expect in the construction directorate Number 129 of the trust.
“Yesterday I was handed in a notification that the contract with me would be terminated as it expires on March 5. They do not need a person who tells tales out of school. The employer does not like that violations of human rights are made public in mass media,” Mikalai Rasyuk said.
Mikalai Rasyuk has 5 more years left before retiring age. He is a participant of Chernobyl disaster aftermaths liquidation.
The personnel department of the enterprise confirmed that they do not intend to prolong labour relations with Rasyuk. They denied telling the reason. “I am not going to explain anything to you. And let us stop our conversation on that,” said a representative of the department.
Exacerbation of the conflict between Mikalai Rasyuk and the administration took place in November 2008. On November 28 the brigade where he worked then, refused to be back at work after the dinner break. They demanded their salaries to be paid to them. The management of the trust charged Mikalai Rasyuk of organizing the strike. In a month he was transferred from Mahilyou to Chavusy district to a farm construction. Attempts to challenge this decision in the court were not successful. After the strike the salary was still paid to workers.
Denial to extend the contract is not the only trouble for Rasyuk. As said by him, on February 2 in the office of the trust’s senior engineer he was interrogated by three representatives of the State Control Committee. Rasyuk was invited for conversation by the personnel department, allegedly about contract extension.
“Only one of them showed an ID to me. He was senior lieutenant Andrei Alehavich Makhunou. He said that we should talk about my unlawful behaviour. They showed printouts of the interview to Radio Svaboda and other independent mass media. I was given a paper about being registered with the KGB,” Rasyuk said.
Mikalai Rasyuk will file a petition to the prosecutor’s office about actions of the KGB officers. Rasyuk himself plans to run in the election for the position of a deputy in Mahilyou city council I the same precinct as the director of the construction trust number 17. So far all his attempts to become a deputy have been unsuccessful.