BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

19/11/2007

Belarusian Businessmen Rally Against Restrictions on Hiring Labour

BBC Monitoring Former Soviet Union

About 1,000 small businessmen from Minsk and other Belarusian cities are rallying in a Minsk park in protest against a presidential decree banning them from hiring workers other than family members from 1 January 2008, the Belarusian news agency Belapan reported on 19 November. The news agency quoted the chairman of the Perspektyva association of small business owners, Anatol Shumchanka, as saying at the rally that only 3-5 per cent out of Belarus's 200,000 small businessmen have underwent registration as "private unitary companies", as demanded by the decree. "This is a failure by our government," Shumchanka was quoted as saying.

The protesters are holding sarcastic placards suggesting they would have to marry or adopt their hired staff: "We demand a law on polygamy", "Looking for a husband. Being a parent of many children older than 18 is a plus", "Salespersons wanted. Adoption guaranteed", "No relatives. I trade from a kiosk", as well as quotes from Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka's speeches on the development of small businesses, the news agency added.

Originally published by Belapan news agency, Minsk, in Russian 1135 19 Nov 07.

Source:

http://www.blackenterprise.com/yb/ybopen.asp?section=ybsb&story_id=112220041&ID=blackenterprise