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In protest action has taken part more than 150 thousand citizens

In Belarus there has passed one-day precautionary national strike of individual entrepreneurs. In the action has accepted over 150.000 entrepreneurs and persons working on hiring.

On July, 31st 2002 in Belarus there has passed precautionary one-day national strike of individual entrepreneurs.

On the specified data, in the action has taken part over 150.000 entrepreneurs and the persons working on hiring. Entrepreneurs of Grodno and Minsk especially actively strike. In Grodno the largest wholesale market “Southern” (over 3500 trading), in other markets including the minimarkets, left no more than 5-10 % of dealers, basically what trade in products completely did not work.

In Minsk the overwhelming majority of the markets (more than 25), including, and central market “Dynamo” did not work. Distinctive line of this strike is that to striking entrepreneurs of exhibitions (”Parking”, “Olympus”, “Uruchje”) and owners of many booths have joined. In total in Minsk have taken part in strike more than 85 percent of entrepreneurs and the persons working for them. Some markets worked with loading no more than 10-15 percent (basically, trade was conducted not by citizens of republic or products).

Businessmen of Minsk have taken part in the action, Grodno, Mogilyov, Vitebsk, Gomel, Brest, Baranovichi, and Bobruisk, Orsha, Volcovysk and many other things cities.
In other cities of Belarus, on the average, did not leave to work from 40 to 70 percent of dealers. Numbers of strikebreakers consisted, basically, from foreign citizens, persons trading without documents and the state enterprises.

Chairman of Strike Committee and not registered Belarus trade union of entrepreneurs Valery Levaneuski became the organizer of the given action. The basic requirements striking are:

1. Not to admit acceptance of the project of changes in the Decree of the President of Belarus from May, 17th, 2001 № 12, especially in present edition;

2. To begin negotiations on this problem with representatives of the enterprise organizations;

3. To suspend process of mass introduction of cash registers in the markets, fairs, exhibitions to the coordination of this question with the enterprise organizations.

Strike committee of entrepreneurs has directed the notice of strike to Administration of the president and other responsible state bodies.
The given protest action is the first of a planned series of republican actions for protection of economic interests of entrepreneurs by summer-autumn of 2002.

Following planned protest actions are in direct dependence on Government reaction. In the nearest plans -is petitioning, a direction of letters in Parliament and the Government, one-day strikes, meetings are possible. In case of absence of positive result, the most radical steps are possible also - is promotion weed requirements (resignation of the President and the Government) and the termination of payment of taxes and other payments in the budget.

The Press-service of the Belarus trade union of entrepreneurs
The head press-service of BTUE - Kalitenja L.F.; 260-97-75, 211-00-00 ab.88 767

Chairman of Strike Committee. Tel/fax: in Grodno (0152) 31-30-62, 8-0296-72-61-19, 8-0296-31-30-62,
Pager (0152 730000 ab.95200
E-mail: strikecom@mail.ru, valery@levonevski.net

P.S. From 5.08.2002 under the initiative of Strike Committee of entrepreneurs of Belarus meetings of our representatives with members of the Government and heads of the ministries and departments begin (in the Ministry of Trade, the Ministry of Economics, the Ministry of Taxes and Tax Collection, Department on business, certification and standardization bodies etc.), “the round table” with participation of the Prime minister is planned. We will inform you on a course of negotiations. The decision on carrying out of the further protest actions will be accepted by results of negotiations till 10.08.2002.

The basic variants of succession of events are considered:

1) The Government disagrees not on what concessions (or goes on insignificant concessions).

Monthly one-day protest actions;
Protest actions with promotion of political requirements;
Term less strike with the termination of payment of taxes.

2) The Government starts to “tighten” the stuff referring that many coordination, etc. the reasons to think are necessary and does not give the answer till 10.08.2002:
We help the government - and spent one-day large-scale national strike on September, 11th 2002 (time is necessary for action preparation);
We spend national strike from 1.09.2002 with the termination of payment of taxes.

3) The Government fulfils all requirements and wishes of entrepreneurs we (will dream) - we prepare to that any minute can deceive. You want “world” - prepare for “war”. We just keep on working.

Make the offers (to active). We continue to form branches of Strike Committee of entrepreneurs RB in the markets and in cities. To call on (0152) 31-30-62, 8-0296-31-30-62 (Valery Levaneuski), Leonid Kalitenja-260-97-75 (Minsk), 8-0296-72-61-19 (Alexander Vasilieu).

For now (on August, 1-3rd, 2002) in Minsk already in all fine entrepreneurs for absence of cash registers and settlement accounts, in other cities are demanded by waybills on storage and the transportation of the goods stamped by tax body etc.

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