2001

What is the sense of the political strike of the businessmen of May 18, 2001

Dear businessmen, majority of you are already informed that on May 18 2001 in Belarus the national political strike of the businessmen is held.

It will be the first political strike of the businessmen of Belarus, for the first time businessmen put forward the political requirements, namely, resignation of A. G. Lukashenko. The detailed requirements of the businessmen are stated in the bulletin «THE EMPLOYER»№10. As many of you ask questions concerning the forthcoming political action I think that I should answer arising questions. I want to emphasise that against our movement the war is conducted both on the part of the state propaganda device and on the part of some opposition figures such as Semen Domash and figures of BPF supporting him.

The task of the both includes the discredit of our movement, distribution of false hearings and conjectures, misleading of the businessmen, attempt to break the planned actions of the protest. According to the state "agitation propaganda" or political commissar it means that they conduct an ideological struggle against us. They both use dirty technologies, frank lies, provocations. Partly they managed to mislead some part of the businessmen, so there is a necessity of exposure of provocative hearings and conjectures of our opponents.

To convince the businessmen that the strike is senseless they distribute the following idea: «Isn’t the strike senseless, if the taxes and for places are paid?» I should answer that it is of a great sense. The fact that more than 100-150 thousand businessmen protest in an original way even having paid the taxes and for places is the extremely unpleasant surprise for the authorities. For them it is a serious warning and caution that further "hairstyle" or robbery of the businessmen can push them to more serious actions. Everyone understands that today businessmen protest not working at the paid workplaces and tomorrow they can leave on streets. According to the information we have today there is a private instruction to confiscate partially the goods of the businessmen. How it happens many from you has been already convinced. A «state employee» comes to you, estimates your goods and offers to give 10 % of your goods up for the benefit of the state: to sowing, harvest or to an ice palace. The reason for confiscation will always be present, the laws accepted in Belarus allow to make it without any difficulties.

Appetite of these "employees" directly depends on whether we shall protest. If nothing is done, the shaft of confiscation can reach such sizes as it will be senseless to work and you remain without means to existence. You perfectly understand that on the promised 100 dollars’ salary money is greatly and where do they take it? The foreign countries give nothing, it remains only to rob. So the strike is, first of all, a reminder to the authority on its excessive appetite on confiscation of your goods.

Some of you have been mislead by the statement that the authorities will not react to such a strike when everything is paid. I should deny the similar statement.

Despite of the pre-election rhetoric of A. G. Lukashenko about the struggle with the American imperialism intended basically for internal consumption, on the international arena the government of Belarus applies feverish efforts to prove that Belarus is a democratic state where the market relations develop, in particular, the active talks with ICF is conducted. The government of Belarus has undertaken a lot of the obligations before ICF. Even most severe supporters of A. G. Lukashenko, his rate of market socialism have begun to understand that without the investments it is impossible to change life of the people of Belarus to the best. So there are unsuccessful attempts to prove to the world community that in Belarus the good investment climate has been created. However western investors are not so naive as A. G. thinks if they see that the government of Belarus without a twinge of conscience robs the businessmen, then the western investors will not hurry to invest to the economics of Belarus. So the sense of the strike is that we remind to everybody including foreign investors that in Belarus there is an adverse investment climate, violation of rights and vulnerability of the businessmen from an arbitrariness of the officials reign here.

The strike of the businessmen, not paying attention to the words of anybody, is rather unpleasant event for the authority. A. G. Lukashenko constantly says that in Belarus there are social world and calmness but here more than hundred thousand citizens protest and require his resignation. The desperate attempts to break the strike are undertaken not casually. Unfortunately, these attempts are undertaken and by some figures from opposition, their reasons differ a little bit from those on the part of the authority. Some opposition figures, including those from BPF say that it is necessary not to pay the taxes and strike for a month, then the authority will suffer really appreciable losses. I can not agree with it for the following reasons. First of all, the sum of the tax which all businessmen together pay in the budget makes only some percents and the situation with the budget can’t be changed greatly. Secondly, in many cities the payment of places is made so that a businessman should pay otherwise he will lose the workplace. In some places the payment for a place exceeds the sum of the tax in some times and is paid for one quarter forward therefore for them even the monthly strike means the large losses. Thirdly, many businessmen have got the seasonal goods and the loss of the certain month in a year for them means that the goods "hang" till the next year. Thus those who pushes the businessmen to carry out a without time-limit or monthly strike do not understand the specific character of work of businessmen or are simply provocateurs. Some of them take after Baba-Yaga from a children's fairy tale, whatever we have done, they are always "against" and are not capable to organise anything. For example, the representatives of the state trade union "Sadruzhnosts" like to visit studies of the officials and to greet them. But we have been already convinced that in this state it to is useless speak with an official who pouts his lips and is not capable to decide anything. Everything that has been told does not mean that my supporters and me are against a monthly strike, we think that under certain conditions it should be carried out but only then when we will not have other choice, when the confiscations will be mass. Everybody of you has got a family which need to be fed and if there is though a slightest opportunity to earn on life, it is necessary to do this.

Therefore when we speak about preparation for a monthly strike, it does not mean that it will be held necessarily, everything will depend on conditions, on behaviour of the authority and it is necessary to be ready to such a serious action. Repeatedly I told those people who criticises me for the organisation of one-day strikes: «Please, I do not prevent you, organise a monthly or annual strike, if it is a success at you, but I won’t be involved to your adventure».

Dear businessmen, colleague, our opponents mislead you saying that we get large money from you and we make profit of it. I explain that any action needs money, the authorities understand it and do everything possible to block a source of money receipts on our needs. A. G. Lukashenko has even issued a special decree to block sources of financing. We actually, on the working legislation in Belarus can not collect dues yet as our trade unions on the far-fetched reasons are not registered. But we have found a way out. Nobody has the rights to forbid me to borrow from you, I borrow from any businessman, citizen who agrees to do it voluntary. You know, where your money will be sent, it will be used to protect your interests. We know that not all businessmen agree with it, as a rule, those who has not offered any rouble are indignant most of all that someone collects money. I should tell that those who lend me, receive a receipt and I oblige to return this money to him if he wants. I thank those who have already began to lend money. You invest in the future, you invest in break of the information blockade which has been organised by the present mode, your means will be paid back. They have been paid back for several times (cumulative income, VAT, goods from the third countries etc.). Think, what could have happened if the Strike Committee has not been formed and our strikes have not been organised. I shall not discuss those fairy tales which are distributed about me and my supporters by the workers of the mode and my opponents from the radical opposition. I shall only tell that the basic skeleton of our movement are the people who support the idea and receive nothing except for troubles from the activity. And who if not we, who? Will a strange uncle come and will he solve our problems? Our hands are clean, we confirm it with light conscience. At present "attention" to us on the part of law-enforcement bodies we would instantly have large troubles, if we break the law!

May 18 is not just a political strike of the businessmen, it is the action of solidarity of the businessmen! This day only those who likes the fines and confiscations, who welcomes slip’s system of the account and arbitrariness of the officials, who likes certification, humiliations, "currency" decree and decree №14, high rent of places etc. "things" from A. Lukashenko will work.

Colleague, the success of activity of our movement depends on your support, I am ready to listen to all your offers, I am ready to support any business, if it helps to improve the conditions of activity of the businessmen, if it help Belarus to come from political and economic crisis.

Yours faithfully Valery Levonevsky.

12.05.2001

Question - answer

Question: I’ve heard that any united trade unions of the businessmen, new co-ordination councils of the businessmen and other organisations in parallel to the Strike Committee of the businessmen and Belorussian Trade union of the Businessmen (BTUB) are created.

Answer: We have already said that we are not against creation of any new businessmen’s structures. Unfortunately, those structures, about which you speak, are not connected with the struggle for our economic rights and lawful interests. We know all of them personally. It is the usual parasites. Half of them are not connected with the businessmen in general, 40 percents are controlled by the law-enforcement bodies, 10 percents - casual «lost sheep». They are created, as a rule, by special services to prevent the Strike Committee of the businessmen and BTUBB to work. How is it possible to find out the parasites? Ask them only two questions:

1. When and whom did you help?

2. When and where did you spend the action of the protest to protect the rights of the businessmen?

Our advice: sent them off.

Question: The Strike Committee of the businessmen supported Free trade unions, there was even the decision of the Strike Committee to join this trade union. Why do you stand against them now?

Answer: When we joined Free Trade unions, they were supervised over by Masha Alieva (the present head of the Belorussian Organisation of the Working Women (BOWW)). There was a certain agreement between the Strike Committee of the businessmen and FTUB about presence in these trade unions. Unfortunately, she was changed by Gennady Bykov, a representative of BPF, by various doubtful combinations (we are ready to assert this in the court). Everything has changed not for the benefit of the businessmen’s movement. We had a choice - to obey BPF and special services or to remain independent

We have chosen the second one. With the present so-called Free trade unions and «priests Gapons» we don’t have a single way.

Question: Will a strike for one month since 1.06.2001 be spent?

Answer: It depends only on businessmen. If 60 % are ready to this it will take place. As for 11.05.2001 only 15 % of the businessmen are ready to a monthly strike.

Question: Where can we receive the legal help?

Answer: To get the information call: Grodno - 72-11-73,44-61-43, Minsk - 260-97-75, Vitebsk - 36-67-56, 25-82-43

Question: Is it necessary to keep the receipts that Levonevsky has borrowed money from me, or shall I simply throw them out?

Answer: There are following reasons for you to keep the receipts (we recommend):

1. If Valery Levonevsky is elected, these receipts will have got a high price which in tens time will exceed a nominal one (they will be bought up by the numismatists)

2. You can return the money.

3. If you have the receipts to the sum 50.000 and 100.000 roubles you can be invited on various measures (even a birthday of Valery Levonevsky 15.08.2001).

4. Who else can brag that Levonevsky owes to him!?