Appeal of labor collective of "InterChem" to the Minister of Health

Dear mr. Muciy!

We, more than half a thousandth labor collective of "InterChem" express our sincere respect and compelled to write to you about the situation too difficult, which lasts for several months in our company and today has reach the peak of stress.  We decided to speak directly to you, dear Mr. Minister, as the head of the department, which is responsible for important and most humane state function - providing conditions for the protection of health and life of citizens. We are not only employees of the company, which for more than two decades working in the field led by you, but first of all we are citizens. So we consider it necessary to express their civil position regarding blatant situation of unpunished arbitrariness on the part of one of the governing departments of the Ministry of Health - State Service Ukraine on Medicinal Products.

Over the past few months, since November last year,  the State Medicine Inspectorate conducted an audit of our company for compliance with license conditions four times. Such a dense and detailed attention can not recall team members who work in the company since the first day of its creation. We participated in many inspections, checks and audits by regulatory authorities - this is normal in our country and to some extent a routine process for any entity. But, without exaggeration, none of them has caused psychological and emotional stress is in the team. The position of supervisory authority in relation to our company, the very way of organizing and carrying out the last checks, the format of communication and providing the necessary information and responses to our numerous requests look like a prejudiced and artificially controlled process. Production of medicines - high-tech and labor-intensive manufacturing, where the staff plays an extremely important role. So the situation that prevailed affects the normal functioning of each of us and the stable operation of the company.

As of today State Service on Medicinal Products, based on their own opinion, their own position, their own interpretation of the law, without no legitimate reason, stopped the production of a number of drugs that not only make up a significant share of production, which produces enterprise but socially important medicines to the public. So as a result of arbitrary actions of a public authority today actually blocked the work of the national manufacturer of medicines.

We see involved punitive measures against us, we are trying to understand - what is the purpose?

The "InterChem" team during 21 years of industrial activity rose from 18 to 590 workers. We can confidently say that,including our family members, the threat to remain without means of subsistence keenly felt over than 2000 Odessa citizens!

For over 20 years the company implemented the European standards of production and quality control. We never stood still, do not rely on any whose support, we worked with our own hands and own mind.

Today in a deep political crisis and pile of economic problems in our country, at a time when consolidation of society is almost the only way out of this situation, artificially created conflict between State Service on Medicinal Products and really working domestic manufacturer, a conflict that was created last year and not decided by now, could lead to social tension in our company and in the city. We are all tired of political actions. But even more tired of our own impotence in the actions of corrupt government officials! What is happening with our enterprise, can be regarded as an "order" to destroy one of the leading enterprises of pharmaceutical industry. Is after all that happened in the state, after all the struggles and hope for democratic transformation gained by such price, we can not count on legal and equitable solution to the conflict? 

We just want to work productively for our families, we want to continue receiving decent salary and further pay full  taxes for the timely payment of pensions to our fathers and grandfathers, to pay doctors salary, to provide hospitals with necessary medicines.

Yes, we are tired of arbitrariness and injustice. But we have not lost faith, we will defend our innocence and our rights. We want to be heard and go to the last step that remains - immediately start a strike of labor collective - we hope that our voices become louder in Kiev, at least it will be able to hear those to whom they are addressed.

We appeal to you, dear Oleg Stepanovich! You can and should address this issue in the framework of the law. We insist on the immediate dismissal of employees of State Service on Medicinal Products who resort to aimed acts which impeding the normal functioning of the enterprise. 

We request immediately start an internal investigation against officials of the departments whose actions compromise all updated government and threaten the normal life of the collective of our enterprise, our family members and thousands of consumers of high-quality and affordable domestic medicines by their decisions. 

The staff of "INTERCHEM"