Belaruskali (
Belarusian: Беларуськалій,
Russian: Беларуськалий) is one of the largest state-owned companies of
Belarus. It is one of the largest producers of
potash fertilizers in the world, accounting for 20% global supply as of 2019.[1][2]
Belaruskali is the largest single taxpayer in
Belarus[3] and an important source of foreign currency of the Belarusian government.[1] As of 2015, it accounted for 11% of tax revenues of
Minsk Region.[4]
Most of Belaruskali's production is exported to
China.[1][2]
History
The company was established in 1958 and comprises four production units, as well as auxiliary shops and service departments.[2] The Belarusian Potash Company is the main distributor of potash fertilizers produced by Belaruskali.[5][6]
Worker rights issues and political repressions
In 2020, four thousand workers of Belaruskali have declared a strike as part of mass peaceful nationwide
protests that followed a controversial
presidential election, demanding resignation of
Alexander Lukashenko and new democratic elections.[7] There have been cases of miners cuffing themselves underground as part of the strike.[8]
According to reports, Belaruskali management threatened and put psychological pressure on the strikers.[9] Belaruskali paid extra bonuses to workers not participating in the strike.[10]
The Belarusian authorities arrested and imposed 15-day prison sentences on some of the striking workers at Belaruskali.[11][12] Four activists of the Belaruskali labour union - Siarhei Charkasau, Pavel Puchenia, Yury Korzun and Anatol Bokun - were arrested after the strike began. 49 Belaruskali workers were fired for participating in the strike, several had to flee from the country.[13][14]
The arrested activists were later released following an international solidarity campaign,[15] fired workers were reinstated following inquiries from
Yara International, the largest trader of Belaruskali's products, regarding
worker rights violations at Belaruskali.[16][17][10]
International sanctions
In 2020, Belaruskali became one of the centers of strikes after the
presidential election and violence against
protesters.[18] On November 19, Belaruskali fired 49 striking workers, purportedly for absenteeism.[19]
On 24 June 2021, the
European Union has introduced restrictions on potash trade with Belarus as a reaction to "the escalation of serious human rights violations in Belarus and the violent repression of civil society, democratic opposition and journalists, as well as to the forced landing of a
Ryanair flight in Minsk on 23 May 2021 and the related detention of journalist
Raman Pratasevich and Sofia Sapega."[20]
In 2022, Canada, the EU and Switzerland imposed sanctions against Belaruskali, its CEO Ivan Golovaty, and the Belarusian Potash Company.[26][27][28] In January 2023, the enterprise was included in the sanctions list of Ukraine.[29]