One of the largest Belarusian enterprises, OJSC Belaruskali, is operating normally, with full capacity utilization. Employees went on strike for only a couple of days, and from August 19, the enterprise was restarted. This statement was made on the air of the TV channel “Russia 1” by the methodologist of physical culture and sports of the 3rd mining department of JSC “Belaruskali” Sergei Denisenko.
“We talked to the protesters, no one threatened anyone, we had no corridors of shame. We ourselves convinced the employees who were trying to stop production that they were sawing the branch they were sitting on,” Denisenko said.
According to him, Belaruskali has the highest salaries in Belarus. “I heard that there is a fund that promised to pay the strikers 1,500 euros. But this is really worth the salaries that the miners receive: about 4,000 Belarusian rubles, or even more,” explained the methodologist, whose salary is 1,500 rubles, about $ 700, plus a full social package with bonuses.
Workers of the JSC “Belaruskali” in the city of Soligorsk announced the beginning of the strike from 17 August. Among their demands was the withdrawal of OMON officers from Salihorsk, the resignation of the current President Alexander Lukashenko, the recognition of the results of the presidential elections in Belarus invalid, the holding of elections with a new composition of the CEC, since the old one had lost confidence, and the involvement of independent observers.
Mass protests in Belarus began after the August 9 presidential elections, and about 7,000 protesters were detained in four days. The police and the Belarusian riot police used tear gas, water cannons, rubber bullets, batons and stun grenades to disperse the people. Three people were killed in the brutal crackdown on protests. More than 250 more were hospitalized. A number of Belarusian enterprises, including MAZ, BelAZ and MKZT, have gone on strike.
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