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revealing her personal potential, professionally
assisting in the realization of civil and social rights
Over 20 Belarusians rescued from labor slavery in Russia
20.11.2024
The Russian volunteer organization "Alternative", which fights against human trafficking, shared that together with the police they found about 60 Belarusians who came to work on a landfill in the city of Podolsk. Nikita (name changed), who also applied for a job as a sorter there in August, told about the suspicious landfill.
As a result, the man faced unsanitary conditions (there were bedbugs and other insects everywhere), workers had to look for food and clothes right on the landfill, passports and phones were taken away. At the same time, the people themselves were set against each other: thus, if one of the workers decided to escape, the management was immediately informed about it.
Also, according to Nikita, a woman who also worked there died at this landfill, she was accidentally run over by a truck. After this incident, people began to be transferred to other sites. It was after the transfer that Nikita was able to escape, find help and talk about slave labor conditions.
When volunteers from the organization, together with the police, arrived at the landfill for inspection, people working there gave contradictory testimony: some said everything was fine, while others asked for help because their passports were taken away, they were not paid wages and were forced to stay at work by threats.
As a result, more than 20 people who talked about slave labor conditions and asked for help were taken to the station to give testimony. It turned out that people were recruited in the Gomel and Mogilev regions. "Alternative" reports that, apparently, the employer was afraid of responsibility and legal proceedings, so he promised this group of people to pay their salaries in full and even pay for their return to Belarus. Everyone agreed to such conditions except for two men, they insisted on help from "Alternative". After that, the employer sent a video to the organization asking people to confirm that no one had deceived them and they had no complaints, and also to take out money and show on camera that the salary had been paid.
We remind you of the main signs that you are in labor slavery:
1) The working conditions do not match what was promised. For example, you were promised free accommodation in a hostel and three meals a day, but in reality, you have to spend the night in cold trailers and look for food wherever you can.
2) Irregular work schedule. For example, working without days off, sick leave, or lunch breaks, constant exhausting work for 12 hours a day.
3) Non-payment of wages or payment of amounts significantly lower than promised. Constant promises to pay the salary in a month or two, which are never fulfilled in full.
4) Illegal detention at the workplace and threats if an employee announces their resignation and demands payment for all the time worked. In such cases, employees usually have their passports and phones taken away to prevent any communication with the outside world. People not only cannot leave, they are also unable to contact relatives or organizations that help free people from slavery.
All these signs are grounds for contacting law enforcement agencies and organizations that assist victims of human trafficking.
If you have questions about working abroad, providing assistance to victims of human trafficking and their relatives, use the information posted on our website!
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