A monitoring visit to the Stryzhavska correctional colony No. 81 in Vinnytsia region revealed serious violations of the labour rights of prisoners. In particular, it concerns excessive working hours, poor pay and lack of proper conditions.
There are cases when convicts work 80 hours a week, which is actually double the norm. The working day in the colony starts at 6 am and lasts until 20:00. At the same time, some of the employees receive only 2100 UAH per month before taxes and utility bills, while the minimum wage in Ukraine is currently 8000 UAH.
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During the interviews, the convicts said that they spend a full working day making one chair from artificial rattan. For this, they receive only 41 UAH, although the market value of such a product is about 1500 UAH. This raises the question not only of remuneration, but also of possible exploitation.
Experts who monitored the situation emphasise that labour in places of detention should be a means of correction and re-socialisation, not a form of punishment or economic exploitation. Unfortunately, the current situation indicates a systematic disregard for legal norms, non-compliance with safety regulations and the lack of a transparent mechanism for monitoring the working conditions of convicts.
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