Aliaksandr Jarashuk: Pensions, maternity leaves disappear; our social state long ago became a myth

The state decided to overcome the crisis exclusively at the expense of the Belarusan citizens.

Taxes are becoming more and more diverse, the authorities insist on increasing the pension age, the other day Kiryl Rudy, the presidential assistant, suggested shortening the maternity leave from 3 to 2 years. In this situation all state economists turn to the experience of other countries.

Aliaksandr Jarashuk, the head of the Belarusian Congress of Democratic Trade Unions, notes that the authorities are cunning when they compare the Belarusan situation with that in the developed countries.

“I wouldn’t like to criticize and reject the idea only because the state representative has voiced it, - Aliaksandr Jarashuk says in the interview with the “EuroBelarus” Information Service. – I don’t mean particularly this specific idea that concerns such painful and delicate topic as mothers rights; I would rather talk about dishonesty of the state that is completely destroying the idea of the socially oriented state”. In this situation, however, “the authorities continue sticking to this myth, although the steps that we have seen recently were aimed at taking away the leftovers of what used to be social benefits from the fellow citizens”.

There is no such state that didn’t experience a crisis once in a while; however, when it comes to our state, “we see the regime’s attempts to get out of the crisis and overcome it exclusively on the citizens’ behalf”.

“Well, if after lenders’ demand the state increases the tariffs on housing utilities, freezes or decreases salaries, plans to increase the pension age and decrease the maternity leave, all that has to be accompanied by absolutely concrete steps that would clarify why every citizen has to put up with these difficulties. Thus, the program of socio-economic reforms should be introduced. But as we see, the state only plans to reduce its expenses… Well, let’s do that; but what’s next? We will put a lot of people in misery without any fundamental changes,” - Aliaksandr Jarashuk says.

Taking all that into consideration, the leader of the trade union believes that it was the former socio-economic policy with the emphasis on authoritarian government that led the Belarusan economy to such devastation. “However, now, during the crisis, the head of state has repeatedly said that nothing will be changed in the economic policy – no restructuring, no economic liberalization, nothing. Why should people suffer privations then?” – he says.

At the same time, Aliaksandr Jarashuk notes that neither the officials nor the law enforcement structures are going to tighten their belts: “What has changed there? Absolutely nothing. Have you heard anything about salary decrease among the militia? I’m not even talking about the inadequate disproportionate quantity of the militia. […] If you claim to be so consistent, please stay consistent in everything. I am mostly concerned and indignant at such one-sided approach with the obvious inclination to put all the burden, difficulties, and hardships of the ongoing socio-economic crisis on the citizens’ shoulders. Soon the reductions that they are making will result in no place to retreat. More than half of all families are spending all their salary on food – a scandalous fact in the light of which I would evaluate all the statements about pensions and maternity leaves. We should introduce these and many other things; however, it should be preceded by absolutely different solutions. We should have put the screws off people, not put them on. There can be no comparison to the developed countries – let’s first compare our and their incomes”.