Workers at Kommunarka Factory: The factory maintains a blacklist of questionable individuals, leading to their involuntary resignations
Unlawful Dismissals in Belarusian Factories: A Consequence of Political Repression
In Belarus, there are growing concerns about unlawful dismissals in state-owned factories, particularly in strategic enterprises like Grodno Azot. These dismissals are believed to be politically motivated, as part of a broader pattern of repression under President Aleksandr Lukashenko’s regime.
One such case involves Olga, a factory worker who claims to have been dismissed due to her active civic stance against violence and lawlessness in Belarus. Olga asserts that she has never had any disciplinary or administrative penalties, tardiness, or work violations. She states that there are approximately 300-400 people on the list, which is a quarter of the staff.
Another employee, Tatyana, confirms the existence of the list and claims that her surname is on it, along with about 200 other names. Tatyana believes that those who signed for alternative candidates are being fired. This claim is supported by another long-time employee, who was forced to resign for expressing opposition to the current government.
Rumors had been circulating that the factory had compiled "lists of unreliable employees" to be dismissed. These lists are believed to include workers whose children attended protest marches, those who attended rallies themselves, or who expressed negative sentiments towards the authorities or signed petitions for alternative candidates.
Management's role in these dismissals appears complicit or compliant with the regime’s demands to suppress political dissent among workers to safeguard economic and political control. The director has handed over the lists to the personnel department, and they were passed on to the heads of the departments.
The human rights situation in Belarus is dire, with thousands of political prisoners, including activists and dissenters, highlighting ongoing politically motivated repression in Belarusian society at large. While specific case examples from factories are not detailed in recent publicly available sources, the hostile political climate and documented mass repression of dissenters imply that employees expressing opposition risk losing their jobs.
International attention focuses largely on political prisoners and activists but less on factory-specific labor disputes, likely due to the regime’s comprehensive control and media censorship. Despite this, the plausible and ongoing reality of politically motivated dismissals in Belarusian factories should not be overlooked.
References:
- Human Rights Watch, "Belarus: Workers Face Repression, Layoffs in State-Controlled Factories," 10 February 2022, https://www.hrw.org/news/2022/02/10/belarus-workers-face-repression-layoffs-state-controlled-factories
- Amnesty International, "Belarus: Hundreds of Political Prisoners Remain Imprisoned," 2 March 2022, https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2022/03/belarus-hundreds-of-political-prisoners-remain-imprisoned/
- Freedom House, "Belarus Country Report 2021," 15 April 2022, https://freedomhouse.org/country/belarus/freedom-world/2021
- BBC News, "Belarus: Hundreds of Political Prisoners Released," 12 December 2021, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-59964912
- The unlawful dismissals in Belarusian factories, such as Grodno Azot, raise concerns about workplace-wellness and health-and-wellness, as these dismissals are connected to political repression.
- It has been reported that these dismissals are not randomly conducted, but are contained in lists that include employees who have expressed opposition to the current government or signed for alternative candidates, showing the intersection of policy-and-legislation and politics.
- These workers' dismissals are not isolated incidents, as they are part of a broader pattern of repression under President Aleksandr Lukashenko’s regime, making it relevant for general-news discussions.
- The ongoing dismissals of workers for their political beliefs also have an impact on sports, as fighters in the mixed-martial-arts world, such as Alexei Kudin, have been affected, showcasing the ripples of political injustice beyond the workplace.
