"Discontent Among Belarusians Is Widespread"
- 26.07.2026, 17:08
The labor shortage in Belarus will only get worse.
Lukashenko lured workers from Uzbekistan to Belarus with promises of high wages and decent working conditions. Once there, however, they were met with low pay and dilapidated dormitories, which led to open protests.
What does the revolt of Uzbek workers say about working conditions and the regime’s attitude toward ordinary people? The website Charter97.org posed this question to former political prisoner and labor union leader Gennady Fedynych:
— You know, the bottom line is that there’s a labor shortage in Belarus. This is a fact confirmed by both the government and business leaders. That’s why they decided to bring in foreign workers. Especially since they arrived in an organized manner. Naturally, they were promised excellent working conditions and decent wages here. People believed it and came.
But, as is often the case in Belarus, the situation turned out to be much more complicated. The question is, how can you pay foreign workers high wages today when you don’t pay your own workers? Everyone here should be on an equal footing: both in terms of wages and motivation.
In this situation, I think the news has already spread throughout all the countries of the former Soviet Union. After this, it’s unlikely anyone will want to come here to go through what the Uzbek workers went through.
I think they’ll raise their wages somewhere and try to provide them with work. It’s no coincidence that the Uzbek ambassador lost his post. This is a very serious issue.
The labor shortage in Belarus will continue. You can’t simply replace them with either Uzbeks or Tajiks. Unskilled labor can still be replaced, but skilled workers need to be trained. It’s not that simple here.
Therefore, the economic situation in Belarus will become more complicated—that much is certain. The question is which enterprises might close soon. Because there is no other way out. They will become unprofitable and operate at a loss. If there are no skilled workers, but we need to produce decent, high-quality goods, the question also arises of how to sell them afterward.
That is why this is a serious and pressing problem, including at the highest levels. Such issues cannot be resolved with mere words. Everything sounds good in theory, but in practice, it’s completely different. That’s why I believe the problem exists and will continue to exist because today in Belarus, virtually all workers, without exception, lack proper motivation to work.
Unfortunately, this problem exists. And no matter how you try to mask it, there is widespread discontent among the people because prices are rising and eating into their wages.