Belarus' largest oil refinery is operational, the refinery's management told Argus, even though workers have called for strikes to protest the result of last week's presidential election.
Protests that began after the country's presidential election had spread to the 323,000 b/d Mozyr and 220,000 b/d Novopolotsk refineries last week. An unverified document seen by Argus indicates that Mozyr workers expressed their intention to begin an indefinite strike from 12:00 Minsk time (09:00 GMT) today, which would be an escalation of a previous intention to strike each day from 20 August between 12:00-15:00.
Workers are demanding the resignation of President Alexander Lukashenko, the recognition of opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya as the winner of the presidential election, and the immediate release of political prisoners, among other things. Video footage on social media appeared to show workers Mozyr unfurling the white-red-white triband Belarusian pre-soviet flag — a symbol of the protests — over the refinery.
Traders said dispatches of gasoline from Mozyr were occurring as usual today. Belarus' state-owned marketing firm BNK has cancelled a term tender to sell around 37,000 t/month of A-92 gasoline from Mozyr in the August-October period, but it gave no reason.
Mozyr is Belarus' only working refinery, with Novopolotsk down for maintenance. Workers at Novopolotsk have said they would join strikes if Lukashenko has not resigned in 10 days, according to a separate document seen by Argus.
Workers from other industries — including at the Belaruskali potash mine, steelworks and automotive factories — have walked out in support of protesters this week. This follows days of mass protests and fierce clashes between protestors and police across the country since the disputed 9 August presidential election, in which Lukashenko claimed victory with around 80pc of the vote. Opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya officially received only around 10pc of the vote, according to the Central Election Commission (CEC).
