Labour Management in Belarus: Transcendent Retrogression

Investment in personnel and FDI in Belarusian companies

“…We examine developments in investment at enterprise level which indicate that the model's long-term sustainability is questionable. Government attempts to maintain a recognisably Soviet model have been documented (Danilovich & Croucher, 2011). Belarus has a very low level of privatized industry, the state is involved in many commercial transactions, private property rights are only weakly protected, very high levels of government control exist over investment and finance, and corruption is widespread (Pastore & Verashchagina, 2006).…”

Compulsory reduced working time in Belarus: Incidence, operation and consequences

“…The obverse of this 'social economy' has been that in the political sphere, opposition and trade unionism were to be respectively curtailed and turned to regime purposes. The marginalisation of opposition was largely achieved, and the institutions which could potentially have policed the social compromise had been removed (Danilovich and Croucher, 2011). Workers had been deprived of 'voice'.…”

“…Broad consensus exists that state traditions of regulation have deep historic roots in former socialist states in general, that are today particularly evident in states on the 'transitional periphery' (Danilovich and Croucher, 2011;Kuzio, 2000). It has also been argued that global trends towards financialisation and marketisation will eventually prevail, overcoming the barriers protecting national systems and their 'path dependence' (Streeck, 2009); but at present there is little current sign of this future being realised.…”

“…The reform developments were ended by a series of measures taken by Presidential decree in the mid-2000s. Trade unions were largely subordinated to government, becoming agents of the state rather than management (Danilovich and Croucher, 2011) under the auspices of FPB (Federation of Trade Unions of Belarus). The remaining independent union minority, united under the Belarusian Congress of Democratic Trade Unions (BKDP), has a semi-legal status, with membership being a cause of persecution of individual workers by management according to several of our respondents.…”

Union Influence in Post-Socialist Europe

“…Data collection in these countries poses considerable and specific difficulties (Drzewiecka 2007). There is a tradition of secrecy among managers (Danilovich and Croucher 2011), which can be partially overcome by using local researchers in each country. Full technical details are available in Brewster et al (2005).…”