Social guarantees and the stability of society. These and many other tasks were set before the new leader of the Vitebsk regional trade union association
The successor to Alexander Tsylev, who worked in the trade unions of Pridvinye from 1995 and until recently headed the regional association, is Ivan Vozmitel, who is known in the region as the former head of the Vitebsk District Executive Committee, and for the last three years has been actively involved in public activities as the chairman of the Vitebsk Regional Sports Club of the Federation of Trade Unions of Belarus, successfully engaging the region's population in an active and healthy lifestyle, and developing children's and youth sports.
The meeting of the trade union board on the occasion of the official introduction of the new leader was attended by the leadership of the region and the Federation of Trade Unions of Belarus, which outlined the range of priority tasks and the main directions of activity that the newly-made public leader will have to perform. Thus, the chairman of the Federation of Trade Unions of Belarus, Leonid Kozik, named three main tasks set for the trade unions of the republic by the head of state. These are decent working conditions for employees at enterprises, the organization of hot meals, and the creation of trade unions in the private sector of the economy. Leonid Petrovich also emphasized the need for representation not only in large private enterprises but also in small ones, where the number of employees is only 20-30 people, as there may be an order of magnitude fewer social guarantees and stability for workers.
The important role of this public association in the socio-economic life of the region and stability in society was noted by the Deputy Chairman of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee, Vladimir Terentyev.
– Trade unions participate in resolving issues related to wages, employment, labor protection, health, cultural, and sports activities of employees. The Regional Executive Committee values this and counts on further cooperation. Moreover, there are many problematic issues in the activities of labor collectives today that require the attention of trade unions, – believes Vladimir Vladimirovich. – To resolve them, a working group was created last year, including representatives of state administration bodies, employers, and trade unions. At its 19 meetings, issues arising from employees of various economic entities in the region concerning labor legislation, wage levels, and timely payment were discussed. The FPB is practically not represented in private business. Special attention should be paid to increasing the effectiveness of public control over the state of labor protection at enterprises, as there is nothing more valuable than human life and health.
Many unresolved issues remain between employers and employees, especially in the implementation of the contract form of employment. The work on regulating issues related to wages and their timely payment leaves much to be desired, primarily observed in the agro-industrial complex and the construction sector. Due to insufficient utilization of production capacities at some enterprises, employees are used in part-time employment, which significantly affects employee wages. In addition, we would like to see increased participation of the public association in the implementation of Decree No. 18 regarding preventive and educational work with obligated persons. In general, the socio-economic stability of society, and therefore the dynamics of the region's development, largely depend on how constructive and effective the activities of trade unions will be.
In turn, Ivan Vozmitel assured his colleagues of the further development and strengthening of social partnership. His focus will constantly be on issues of monitoring compliance with labor legislation, motivation and the level of trade union membership, the creation of trade union primary organizations at enterprises, regardless of ownership, and the conclusion of collective agreements.
Natalia RYBKOVA.
Photo by Dmitry OSIPOV. "Vitebsky Rabochy"