Mikhail Kovalkov, the chairperson of the primary organization of the Free Trade Union of Belarus (SPB) at the Republic's Unitary Production Enterprise (RUPE) "Bobruisk Tractor Parts and Units" (known as BZTDiA), is not admitted to the territory of the enterprise, the website of the Belarusian Congress of Democratic Trade Unions (BKDP) reports.

Mikhail is not able to get to his workplace at the office of the trade union, to perform his professional duties and meet the members of his organization. He has addressed his application to the Prosecutor's Office, demanding to stop the lawlessness on the part of the administration of the BZTDiA.

Let us remind you that in late November 2011 the factory administration blocked Mikhail Kovalkov's permanent pass to the enterprise. Every day now he has to undergo the humiliating procedure of obtaining a one-time permit to the territory, which takes from two to four hours of his working time.

As reported by Mikhail Kovalkov, on May 21 and 22, he was not let to the territory of the enterprise at all. At the factory entrance checkpoint he was rejected a one-time permit on the grounds that such permits are granted personally by Mikhail Korolyov, the head of the department for security and regime. On May 21, the leader of the free trade union was trying to get through to the boss by his mobile and fixed telephones, and by sending SMS-messages, but Mikhail Korolyov would not answer. The same thing happened on May 22; and Mikhail Kovalkov is sure that Korolyov is deliberately refusing to contact.

Kovalkov has notified Alexander Agranovich, the Director of the BZTDiA, that he was not able to get to his workplace; however, no Director's response followed.

"I was deprived of the right to work guaranteed by the Constitution of the country," said Mikhail Kovalkov. "In my application to the Prosecutor's Office I also wrote that the administration of the factory violates Article 24 of the Law on Trade Unions, according to which I have equal rights in social and labour sphere with all other employees. I demanded from the prosecutor to take actions towards eliminating the lawlessness perpetrated by the administration and restore my right to work."

If the situation does not change, Mikhail Kovalkov is ready to go to most radical measures, which will have negative consequences for the enterprise and its bosses.

The BKDP has briefed the members of the Council on Legislation in Social and Labour Sphere under the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection that the administration of the Bobruisk Factory of Tractor Parts and Units violates the rights of the free trade union. This fact was also fixed in the documents sent by the BKDP to the International Labour Organization. It will appear at the consideration of the "Belarusian issue" at the annual Labour Conference in Geneva in early June this year.