Communication with the team and assistance: how in Brest region trade unions implement social support for older people

In the Brest region, trade unions traditionally pay great attention to the issues of social support for workers and labor veterans. One of the key areas of this work remains the care of older people. As noted in the regional association of trade unions, the system of assistance is based on the norms of collective agreements and covers both material measures and social initiatives.

Chief Inspector for Social and Economic Work of the Brest Regional Association of Trade Unions Alexander Kuzmuk said:

- Today, there are about 2,800 collective agreements in the region, and more than 80 percent of them provide various forms of support for working and non-working pensioners. Local legal acts of enterprises of the Brest region contain a comprehensive set of measures aimed at comprehensive assistance to labor veterans. In most cases, these norms reinforce both material and social support, allowing older people to maintain a close connection with the team and feel involved in the life of their home business. Collective agreements traditionally provide for payments for professional holidays, the Day of the elderly and Victory Day, as well as assistance in the purchase of expensive medicines. Some items relate to the presentation of cash bonuses and valuable gifts when an employee leaves for a well-deserved rest, which emphasizes deep respect for long-term human work.

He also noted that a significant element of support is sanatorium-resort rehabilitation: pensioners are given vouchers to trade union health resorts, and collective agreements guarantee partial or full compensation for their cost. In addition, other forms of support remain for veterans - invitations to cultural events, assistance in solving household issues and assistance in obtaining necessary social services. More than 18,300 collective agreements are in force in Belarus – FPB