INFORMATION on the work of the Belarusian Trade Union of Healthcare Workers during the period of the COVID-19 spread to reduce the negative consequences of the infection.

27 November 2020

In the situation with COVID-19, the Belarusian Trade Union of Healthcare Workers has reoriented all the organization's resources to protect the health, provide social and economic assistance and support to industry workers to minimize the adverse effects of the pandemic, including the occupational risks for doctors. Since March of this year, the Belarusian Trade Union of Healthcare Workers allocated 4 million 267 thousand rubles to provide help and support in the fight against coronavirus.

These are:

1. Financial assistance to 270 organizations in the amount of 1,128 thousand rubles for the acquisition of collective and individual protection means, the creation of healthy and safe working conditions, social assistance and support for medical workers.

2. Gratuitous transfer of personal protective equipment, disinfectants and antiseptics, medical products purchased from the trade union to healthcare organizations; catering and medical insurance for a total amount of 995 thousand rubles.

3. Trade union’s participation in the development of a system of additional payments to doctors for special working conditions in COVID-19, and after the entry of the Order of the President of the Republic of Belarus dated 16.04.2020 № 131 "On Material Incentives for Healthcare Workers" into force – also consultations and assistance in establishing “covid” allowances via the trade union hotline and Internet resources.

4. Representation of labor rights and interests of employees, if necessary, their protection in employment relations changed due to the epidemiological situation, such as transfer to another employer, granting leave without pay, registration of downtime, transfer to part-time work, etc.

5. Material assistance to 6,829 employees who have found themselves in the most difficult financial situation due to the pandemic (illness, payment of medical expenses, difficult financial situation, idle time, etc.) for a total amount of 2 million 144 thousand rubles.

6. Provision of material assistance at the expense of the insurance fund created by the trade unions to 6,032 employees of healthcare organizations who got sick with COVID-19 for a total amount of 3 million 886 thousand rubles.

Currently, the assistance of the Belarusian Trade Union of Healthcare Workers to members of the organization is:

1. Participation in the sanitary, hygienic, medical and preventive measures in labor collectives, management of labor protection; work with employers and executive authorities for early identification and elimination of health risks for doctors via the work of the trade union inspection of labor protection.

2. Gratuitous (sponsored) assistance to healthcare organizations with money to satisfy urgent needs, personal protective and hygiene equipment, disinfectants and antiseptics.

3. Obligatory material assistance:

3.1. for employees who have contracted COVID-19 while providing medical care to patients with COVID-19:

in case of temporary work incapacity for up to 30 calendar days (continuously) – in the amount established by the Regulation on the Fund for Assistance of the Primary Trade Union Organization;

in case of temporary work incapacity for a period of 30 or more calendar days (continuously) – in the amount of at least 200.00 rubles;

Contact the primary trade union organization at the place of registration with a copy of the work incapacity certificate to get material assistance for disability due to COVID-19.

3.2. In case of an employee’s death at work due to infection with COVID-19 – in the amount of at least 130 basic units (currently 3,510.00 rubles).

Death assistance comes from three sources:

by the Primary Trade Union Organization – in the amount established by the Regulations on the Fund for Assistance of the Primary Trade Union Organization;

the territorial organization of the trade union (regional, for Minsk – the Minsk City Organization of the Trade Union) – in the amount of at least 30 base units;

By the Republican Trade Union Committee – in the amount of 100 base units.

In this case, contact the primary trade union organization at the place of registration of the trade union ,the higher territorial organization of the trade union (regional, for Minsk – the Minsk City Organization of the Trade Union) and to the Republican Committee of the Trade Union to get material assistance.

4. Material assistance to the trade union members who have found themselves in a difficult financial situation due to the pandemic.

5. The possibility of paying the costs associated with voluntary insurance of trade union members against infection with the infection caused by the coronavirus COVID-19 from the funds of the trade union organization – in priority to participants of providing medical care to patients with COVID-19.

6. Consultations by trade union specialists on labor relations, including remuneration, via the hotline (+375 44 584 72 27, 8017 242 83 54) and the internet portals https://profmed.lprof.by/ and https://uk.lprof.by/.

7. Work on introducing amendments and additions to collective agreements in accordance with the Supplementary Agreement between the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Belarus and the Belarusian Trade Union of Health Workers for 2019–2021, including the implementation of the norms of Article 365 of the Labor Code of the Republic of Belarus.