Private Businessman Follows State-Owned Companies and Fires Drivers

20.12.2006.

Homel transport companies violate the labor law and get rid of employees – members of Belarusian Independent Labor Union of Radio Electronics

RFE/RL reports, private shipping companies follow the example of state-run ones. The story of driver Alexander Yauseichuk is a good example of that.

When he was fired from bus depot #1, Alexander managed to find a job of a minivan driver with private businessman Piotr Kalatsei. However, that didn’t last long.

Alexander Yauseichuk tells his story:

-- Mr. Kalatsei came and asked: what problems do you have with the bus depot? Did you take them to trial?” I said: “yes, and what’s the matter?” and he told me: “the matter is that you are fired”, -- and returned my papers to me.

The regional office of the Independent Labor Union of Radio Electronics helped the driver to prepare a suit against illegal dismissal. Recently Savetski court of Homel recognized the fact that Mr. Yauseichuk had been fired illegally. The company owner is to pay the driver for forced truancy and moral damage.

Yauseichuk believes administration of bus depot interfered in his relations with the new employer. Private companies depend on the bus depot. They have to use its services – only the bus depot has the right to examine minivans daily and can permit or prohibit their work on the route. That’s why private businessmen prefer not to quarrel with the state companies.

-- They do everything to keep me without a job. This is real discrimination, because of our membership in the independent labor union. Since December three members of the independent labor union lost their jobs. Two of them, Andrei Baranau and Ivan Maskalenka, received compensation from the bus depot for violation of the contract terms. However, the drivers can’t find another job. Everywhere they hear that people with such principles are not needed.