Iryna Jaskevich:For now sole entrepreneurs got the guarantees from the officials on parole

The organizer of the first strike against technical regulations for the Customs Union sums up the results of the confrontation between individual entrepreneurs and the officials.

Let us recall that on July 5 Belarusan Prime Minister led the cabinet meeting to discuss the Customs Union's certification regulations for light industry.

After "thorough examination" of all the issues in question, the cabinet stated that "all subjects of entrepreneurship should follow the technical regulations of the Customs Union”, though they could take use of simplified procedures to confirm the certificate of origin in the period through July 1, 2014. The resolution allows entrepreneurs to sell their stock without Customs Union certificates through July 1, 2014. The meeting also agreed that no measures of administrative punishment should be applied against entrepreneurs for violating the Customs Union certification regulations.

However, in the interview with the EuroBelarus Information Service Iryna Jaskevich, the coordinator of the organization group to form a trade union “Vmeste” (“Together”), noted that the state of the entrepreneurs can hardly be called stable even after the meeting in the Ministry of Trade.

- We believe that there is an agreement that has no basis besides the world of honor. The main question hasn’t resolved yet. It is only a covering document that affirms the purchase of goods. No one can answer exactly what do these renowned documents look like; anyone, let’s hope we’ll resolve the situation somehow. The only benefit we see today is the simplified form of the document we should show. On the whole, Belarusan individual entrepreneurs since long ago have no complaints from the customers regarding the defected goods, as it is not in their interests.

- Will the work aimed at creating trade union “Vmeste” continue? Or the organization group has activated its activity only during the rush period?

- I think that the trade union “Vmeste” has proved its vitality during this period. We hope that we’ll have our own organization; many people have already understood that the trade union had certain levers to convince the officials. Now the main thing is to be patient, listen more and work constructively. We should stand our ground as we have one common goal – to protect the rights of the individual entrepreneurs.

- Do officials hear the entrepreneurs?

- I think they do; the officials search the way-out from the situation they have created themselves. More or less the situation starts clearing up, but no one can give any guarantees that it won’t turn the other way round. Entrepreneurs shouldn’t cherish vain hopes about that.

Let us recall that on June 27, entrepreneurs in Belarus staged a one-day strike protesting against the requirements in the technical regulations of the Customs Union. Under the rules, entrepreneurs shall have quality certificates for shoes and clothes they sell. The leader of entrepreneurs, Anatol Shumchanka spent 5 days of arrest for staging an unauthorized mass action. Entrepreneurs announced plans to stage a street protest on July 15 in Minsk.