Agreement between employers, trade unions and authorities signed in Vitebsk region

An agreement between the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee, the Regional Union of Employers, and the Regional Association of Trade Unions for 2019-2021 has been concluded in Vitebsk, reports a BELTA correspondent.

As noted by Oleg Matskevich, First Deputy Chairman of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee, the document is aimed at ensuring social, labour, economic, and legal guarantees for employees of organisations of all forms of ownership. Its signing will contribute to the creation of additional conditions for the economic development of the Vitebsk region. "Employment, wages, occupational safety, and the preservation of social support are the issues that are primarily important for work collectives. In turn, a stably operating collective is the foundation of a normally functioning economy of any country. The agreement is an additional tool for the further development of not only individual organisations but also the region as a whole," emphasised Oleg Matskevich.

Ivan Vozmitel, Chairman of the Regional Association of Trade Unions, touching upon the specifics of this agreement, stated that alongside the preservation of previously adopted provisions, guarantees for workers have been expanded. In particular, the document includes additional norms concerning employees raising minor children; the development of the personnel training system; the motivation of employees improving their professional skills; employment issues, including the employment of youth, women with minor children, and persons with disabilities; ensuring healthy and safe working conditions, taking measures to achieve zero injuries, and other important aspects covering labour relations.

"We were able to find compromises on all contentious issues and preserve the guarantees stipulated in the current agreement," added the Chairman of the Regional Association of Trade Unions.

The implementation of the agreement will be supervised by the Council for Labour and Social Affairs. The provisions of the document are binding within the region as minimum guarantees when concluding collective agreements, sectoral and local agreements, and cannot be amended to reduce the social and economic protection of employees. The fulfillment of the obligations undertaken by the parties is ensured by the necessary funds and expenditure items provided for in the regional budget, the economic activity plans of organizations, and the estimates of trade union organizations. At the same time, the agreement does not restrict the rights of work collectives to expand guarantees and benefits if additional resources are available.

News of Belarus (BELTA)