Uzbek Workers in Belarus Raise Concerns Over Work Conditions

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — The first participants in Uzbekistan's organized employment program in Belarus have complained about their living conditions and wages. Workers from Andijan Region who arrived in Vitebsk Region published a video appeal asking for assistance in returning to Uzbekistan.

A total of 255 residents of Andijan Region were recently sent to Belarus under a pilot project. Before departure, they were promised official employment, stable wages, decent living conditions and social guarantees.

After arriving in Belarus, some workers said the actual conditions did not match those promises. In videos posted on social media, they showed the dormitory where they are staying and said its condition fell short of their expectations.

According to the workers, they earn about US$500 per month and must cover food and daily living expenses themselves. They said that after mandatory expenses they have around US$200 remaining, making continued employment in Belarus economically unviable.

In their video appeal, the workers asked Andijan Region Governor Shukhrat Abdurakhmanov to help them return to Uzbekistan.

The Migration Agency told journalists that the situation is under review. According to the agency, its representatives and officials from the Andijan regional administration currently in Belarus are examining relations between the employers and the migrant workers.

The agency said the workers had been sent by the Andijan regional administration as part of a pilot project. If an employer fails to fulfill the terms of the employment contract, including wage obligations, the workers will be offered jobs with another employer. The agency said it expects the situation to be resolved by the end of the day.

The Migration Agency also said Uzbek investors are establishing farms in Belarus where employment opportunities for Uzbek citizens are being considered. Under the signed contracts, the average monthly salary at those enterprises is expected to be US$900–1,000, with a maximum of US$1,200.

Earlier reports said that about 5,000 Uzbek citizens are expected to be sent to Belarus under the organized employment program.