Strike at Nioman Glass Factory

13.10.2006.

Lida region is shivering. Hardly had the corruption case toned down, when the town of Biarozauka (Lida region) became the center of a new scandal. Last Tuesday the employees of the glass factory Nioman held a mass strike at their working places. From 300 to 500 of the morning shift employees ceased the work till noon. The strike was continued by workers of the second shift at 4 p.m. At 5 p.m. they got down to work.

According to the employees, that was a spontaneous action. The workers of six different workshops came together in the strike. The protest expressed by the glass blowers was provoked by the sum of the salaries for September – 350 000 – 400 000 of Belarusian rubles it is the lowest salary in Lida region.

One month before the strike the workers signed for a pay rise - they demanded to add the labor costs for damaged goods to their salary. The workers said the production of any goods is a very difficult process, while the labor costs for damaged goods are not included into the salaries. The damage is not the workers’ fault - it depends on the glass, so the employees have to pay for other people’s mistakes, which is unfair.