Responsibility grows - so does the benefit. How labor migrants help Belarusian agribusiness

27 May, Brest. In Belarus, the HEAD of state has issued a decree increasing the responsibility of employers for foreign workers. Viktor Ruzhin, DIRECTOR of Yablonevyi Pasad LLC, told a BELTA correspondent about his experience of working with migrant workers.

The farm is located in the Lyakhovichi District. They planted 142 hectares of APPLE trees there. Asparagus grows on 5 hectares, strawberries on 2.5 hectares. Another 42 hectares will be occupied by the Conference pear tree. In the fall, they plan to plant about 10 hectares of apple trees and 50 hectares of cherries. The area is quite large, so a lot of workers are needed. About 150 people are needed during the harvest season . Agriculture is facing a shortage of personnel. This is one of the reasons why Yablonevyi Pasad has resorted to hiring migrant workers.

"Last year, when we were picking strawberries, a citizen of Turkmenistan came to us for a part-time job. He recommended his friends to us, who he knew would work well. They got the documents through the migration service, and they came here. We had 12 foreigners working here," said Viktor Ruzhin. Currently, four citizens of Turkmenistan are working in the garden. However, by the height of the season, the number of labor migrants may increase. "I think there may be up to 20-30 people. Now they have also made a request, done the documents. They are already planning to come to us with their families: husband and wife. We expect several such couples. For us, this is even better," added the head of the LLC.

The labor migrants are transported to and from work by official transport. The garden has a kitchen where they can have lunch. There is a shower to wash up after the end of the working day. "They work very well. Their wage rate is the same as that of the Belarusians. The Turkmen came with a specific purpose - to earn money. Therefore, they work overtime, they get a good salary, the workers are happy with it," said Viktor Ruzhin.

A house with all the amenities was rented in the village for the foreign workers. If any help is needed in everyday life, the employer always responds. For example, if people need to go shopping, they are provided with transport with a driver who takes them to the store and back home. The employer is generally responsible for the stay of labor migrants in Belarus. "Of course, we monitor how they live. Basically, they have order, but there was a moment when they scolded them for the cleanliness of the house. After a conversation, they fixed everything. Not once did anyone not show up for work or was noticed in a bad story. There was one case of ALCOHOL intoxication - this person was immediately deported," the director said.

There is no serious language barrier between Belarusians and labor migrants. "They obey the elders without fail. We just need to tell them (or me, or the agronomist, my deputy) what needs to be done today. After work, one of us checks the work. That's it - no questions. Their knowledge of Russian is completely sufficient for communication," explained Viktor Ruzhin.