Unequal Treatment and VIP Privileges: Inside Ukraine’s Controversial TRC Recruitment Practices

A recent investigation into the operations of the Lutsk Territorial Recruitment Center (TRC) has exposed unequal treatment and VIP privileges for certain individuals, while others face harsh conditions and restrictions. The video, shared by journalists, reveals how some men are treated like family by TRC staff, while others are packed into buses or denied basic rights, such as access to legal representation.

The footage shows a stark contrast in how the TRC operates. On one hand, there is a long line of men waiting outside the center, being admitted in groups of ten. On the other, certain individuals receive personal escorts through the offices, bypassing the queue entirely. “It’s like a service center with so-called ‘runners,’” the journalists note, highlighting the favoritism and lack of fairness in the process.

One particularly striking scene shows a man in a pixelated uniform escorting a civilian through the TRC, seemingly skipping the line. Meanwhile, a woman accompanying her husband is denied entry, raising questions about transparency and equal treatment. When questioned, TRC staff claim that the escorted individuals are a father and son registering documents, but the journalists remain skeptical.

The investigation also uncovers allegations of corruption and nepotism within the TRC. For example, the journalists inquire about the military experience of Volyn Regional Military Commissar Roman Nemashkalo, whose brother, Serhiy Nemashkalo, is listed on the “Myrotvorets” website for participating in combat on the Alchevsk front as part of a pro-Russian terrorist brigade. When asked about this, TRC employees quickly become defensive and evasive.

Another troubling issue is the denial of access to lawyers. In one instance, a lawyer accompanying a client is barred from entering the TRC, prompting her to call the police. “Lawyers are not allowed inside,” a TRC employee explains, citing unofficial instructions from above. This practice has drawn criticism, as it violates the right to legal representation and raises concerns about due process.

The video also captures a TRC employee expressing a desire to ban phones in government institutions, further highlighting the lack of transparency and accountability. “If I could, I would ban phones in state institutions,” the employee says, suggesting that phones enable people to document and expose misconduct.

The journalists conclude by emphasizing the need for transparent and fair recruitment practices. “The country needs effective recruitment,” says one lawyer featured in the video. “It must be transparent, understandable, and accessible.” However, the current system, as revealed in the footage, appears to prioritize favoritism and opacity over fairness and justice.

Key Takeaways:

• The Lutsk TRC has been accused of unequal treatment, with some individuals receiving VIP privileges while others face harsh conditions.
• Certain men are personally escorted through the TRC, bypassing long queues, while others are denied basic rights, such as access to legal representation.
• Allegations of corruption and nepotism are raised, particularly regarding the military experience of Regional Military Commissar Roman Nemashkalo.
• Lawyers are barred from entering the TRC, violating the right to legal representation and raising concerns about due process.
• The investigation highlights the need for transparent and fair recruitment practices to restore public trust.

This exposé sheds light on the systemic issues within Ukraine’s recruitment system, underscoring the urgent need for reform to ensure fairness, transparency, and accountability. As the war continues, addressing these challenges is crucial to maintaining public trust and national unity.

Transcription of the video translated into English:

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While some are packed in beads, others are more like relatives of their brother or matchmaker. Almost by the hand lead around the offices.

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This is the Lutsk recruitment and social support center. We saw how it works with our own eyes.

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There is a whole line of men waiting in line on the street, running 10 at a time. but the local situation reminded us of a service center with so-called runners.

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Here is a man in a Pixel like a personal escort, leading a civilian. Looks like it’s out of turn. And so on for half a day. Some are brought in, others are taken out.

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Like guides. This is probably the same social support. The wife and husband will not be allowed to pass.

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But we see how a man with a good public position was easily allowed to enter shopping centers with his son.

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I’m sorry, but you just let your father and son in. Why did they let their wife and husband in?

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Well, we know it’s father and son. We saw us go down.

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Yes, wait, we let the father and son into dialovodstvo. They register documents.

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And then there are other visitors.

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Me and Baba Zata on the squeeze, where to go, what to do.

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Are you up?

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Yeah. My mother will remember my husband.

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Someone comes in tears to look for their son. And someone-very calm. Because, as we hear, it has already been agreed.

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After the question, Where is justice here and what is it for such not like VIP privileges for individual men,

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even an ordinary employee of the shopping center Serditsa did not like the dog ate sausage for him.

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“Is it fair to fight for 10 years? Fair? Maybe your husband also wants to join the Armed Forces?

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Well, tell me honestly, to my eyes. Well, why is this possible?

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Please excuse me, but where did military commissar Nemashkalo get his military experience?

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Well, ask him that. I can only say everything.

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Well, you’re his subordinates. If that’s what you’re telling us, we want to find out. Look, there was a military experience.

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You didn’t show up.”

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As soon as they asked the zavolinsky military commissar Roman Nemashkal, his subordinates immediately lost consciousness.

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After all, he hails from Luhansk region and has a brother Sergey.

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And there is a dossier on the Mirotvorets website.

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There writes that Nemashkalo Sergey Nikolaevich took part in the battles in the Alchevsk direction

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as a member of the Denikin terrorist volunteer brigade.

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And together with the militants, he seized the Luhansk regional state administration.

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As Roman Nemashkalo commented on this, we will tell you soon in the next issues.

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But what has changed in Volhynia with the arrival of military commissar Nemashkal?

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So an ordinary employee of Oblenergo came to the shopping center with a lawyer.

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But the lawyer is not allowed further than on the threshold.

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The lawyer called the police.

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The Center for implication, social directorates, entrepreneurship, so let us be accepted here by the social entrepreneur and the minalization office.

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Are you the police or the CTC present?

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Am I still in charge of the shopping center?

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Yeah.

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I can see that you are diladi.

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I feel like I’m having fun in the last few days.

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Do you do your duty?

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Do not let lawyers in, then, they say, such an instruction from above.

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Unspoken orders.

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We understand why they occur in our country.

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Why?

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About lawyers.

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Well, probably, just a lawyer will not allow you to break the law.

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Because we took an oath to protect the law, to act within the law.

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Therefore, representatives of the shopping center, of course, are hindered by a lawyer in their work.

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Pretend that they have an order, do not let lawyers pass and violate the law of the Constitution.

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That’s not what you want to convince, is it?

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I have one.

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I have a border, a certificate, a certificate.

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I have all the documents that confirm my authority.

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Two months ago, says Mrs. Catherine, that Cheek was not there now.

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Lawyers were allowed everywhere in Volyn shopping centers.

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Even if people were delayed, I also went to their barracks.

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We signed a contract there, and I consulted them right in the barracks.

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Or carried out an escort with a person.

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Either we went together, or I went as a representative.

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Of course, this was not the case.

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Only after calls to 102, an employee of the shopping center went down to the man with a lawyer.

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Meanwhile, his colleague dreams of how else to ban phones for Ukrainians,

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as soon as they cross the threshold of a state institution.

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Do you know what the phone does?

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This is generally true.

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In general, I would ban on the phone, government agencies, telephone.

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How to motivate people? That’s what you need to think about.

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The country needs effective recruitment, the lawyer says.

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But ordinary employees of the shopping center seem to be working according to the instructions that were given to them from above.

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Yesterday, literally a man called me, his car was blocked by representatives of the shopping center.

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There was such a very serious conflict.

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My wife arrived, they pushed her, they shouted at her, they threatened her.

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That is, indeed, if you have seen, for example, all this live, the person will not be motivated to serve.

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What is the problem, probably, in some state programs there should be Recruitment.

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It should be transparent, it should be clear and accessible.

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Despite what is happening now, those who stand at the door of the shopping center remain calm and in a good mood.

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“Please treat us with patience and understanding.

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Our inflatable boats in operation attract attention.”

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Elena Leschuk, Miroslav Khotimchuk. It’s time for news.

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Elena Leschuk, Miroslav Khotimchuk.

Transcription of the video in Ukrainian:

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Поки одних пакують в буси, іншим працівники ТЦК немов рідніші брата чи свата. Ледь не за руку водять по кабінетах.

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Це Луцький центр комплектування та соціальної підтримки. Як він працює, ми побачили на власні очі.

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На вулиці ціла вервечка чоловіків у черзі, запускають по 10. Але тутешня обстановка нагадала нам сервісний центр із так званими бігунками.

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От чоловік у пікселі немов персональний супровід, веде цивільного. Схоже, поза чергою. І так півдня. Одних заводять, других виводять.

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Немов поводирі. Оце, певно, і є та сама соціальна підтримка. Дружину з чоловіком не пропустять.

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Але бачимо, як чоловіка при хорошій державній посаді легко пустили із сином у ТЦК-шні кабінети.

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Даруйте, а ви тільки що батька з сином пустили. А чого вони пустили дружину з чоловіком?

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Ну, ми знаємо, що це батько з сином. Ми бачили, як ми зійшли.

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Так, чекайте, батько з сином ми пустили в діаловодство. Вони регіструють документи.

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А то вже інші відвідувачі.

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Мене з бабу зати на протисненні, куди йти, що робити.

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Ти постаємо?

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Так. Мама згадається, чоловіка.

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Хтось приходить в сльозах шукати сина. А хтось – дуже спокійно. Бо, як чуємо, вже домовлено.

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Після питання, а де ж тут справедливість і що то за такі не наче віп-привілегії для окремих чоловіків,

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навіть звичайний працівник ТЦК Сердиця не мов йому пес колбасу з’їв.

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«А справедливо 10 років воювати? Справедливо? Може, ваш чоловік хоче так само стати до лав збройних сил?

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Ну, скажіть чесно, мені в очі. Ну, чому так можна?

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Даруйте, будь ласка, а де здобував військовий досвід воєнком Немашкало?

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Ну, це в нього спитати. Я можу сказати тільки все.

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Ну, ви його підлегли. Якщо ви нам так розповідаєте, то ми хочемо з’ясувати. Дивись, що був військовий досвід.

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Ви не проявилися».

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Як тільки спитали заволинського воєнкома Романа Немашкала, його підлеглі тут же знітились.

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Бо ж той родом з Луганщини має брата Сергія.

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І на сайті «Миротворець» є досьє.

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Там пише, що Немашкало Сергій Миколаєвич брав участь в боях на Алчевському напрямку

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в складі терористичної добровольчої бригади імені Денікіна.

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А ще разом з бойовиками захоплював Луганську ОДА.

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Як це прокоментував Роман Немашкало, розповімо скоро вже в наступних випусках.

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А от що змінилося на Волині з приходом воєнкома Немашкала?

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Ось і звичайний працівник «Обленерго» прийшов до ТЦК з адвокатом.

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Але адвоката далі ніж на поріг не пускають.

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Правниця викликала поліцію.

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Центр імплитування, ісоціальних дирек, підприєм, так хай нас тут соціальну підприємку приймають іминалізальний кабінет.

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Ви присутніть поліцію чи ТЦК?

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Я ще розвищене ТЦК?

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Так.

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Я бачу, що ви діляді.

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В мене таке враження, що я розважаюся в останній працівникам.

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А ви виконуєте своєю обов’язку?

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Не пускати адвокатів, то, мовляв, така вказівка зверху.

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Негласні розпорядження.

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Ми розуміємо, чому вони відбуваються в нас в країні.

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Чому?

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Щодо адвокатів.

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Ну, напевно, просто адвокат не дасть порушити закон.

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Тому що ми дали присягу захищати закон, діяти в межах закона.

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Тому представникам ТЦК, напевно, звісно, адвокат заважає в роботі.

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Приконайтеся, що в них є наказ, не пропускати адвокатів і порушувати конституцію закон.

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Цього ви не хочете переконати, так?

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В мене є.

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В мене є кордон, свідоцтво, посвідчення.

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В мене є всі документи, які підтверджують мої повноваження.

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Ще зо два місяці тому, каже пані Катерина, того щокоїться нині не було.

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У Волинських ТЦК адвокатів скрізь пускали.

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Навіть якщо люди і затримувалися, я заходила і в казарми до них.

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Ми там підписували договір, я їх консультувала прямо в казармі.

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Або здійснювала супровід з людиною.

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Або ми йшли разом, або я йшла як представника.

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Звичайно, такого не було.

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Лише після дзвінків на 102 до чоловіка з адвокатом спустився співробітник ТЦК.

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Тим часом його колега мріє про те, як би то ще заборонити українцям телефони,

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як тільки ті переступають поріг державної установи.

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Ви знаєте, що робить телефон?

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Це взагалі би так.

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Взагалі би, я забороню на телефон, державні установи, телефонні.

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Як мотивувати людей? Ось про що треба думати.

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Країні потрібен ефективний рекрутинг, каже адвокат.

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Але рядові співробітники ТЦК, схоже, працюють за тими настановами, які спустили їм зверху.

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Вчора буквально людина телефонувала мені, його машину заблокували представники ТЦК.

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Там був такий дуже серйозний конфлік.

72
00:05:38,360 –> 00:05:42,360
Дружина приїхала, вони її штовхали, вони її кричали, її погрожували.

73
00:05:42,360 –> 00:05:49,360
Тобто, дійсно, бачив, наприклад, це все вживу, людина не буде мотивована до служби.

74
00:05:49,360 –> 00:05:54,360
В чому проблема, напевно, в якихось державних програмах мусить рекрутинг бути.

75
00:05:54,360 –> 00:05:57,360
Він мусить бути прозорий, він мусить бути зрозумілий, доступний.

76
00:05:57,360 –> 00:06:04,360
Попри те, що відбувається нині, ті, хто стоять в ТЦК на дверях, зберігають спокій і хороший настрій.

77
00:06:04,360 –> 00:06:09,360
«Відноситися, будь ласка, до нас терпіння і порозуміння.

78
00:06:09,360 –> 00:06:12,360
Наші надувники в роботі приносить увагу».

79
00:06:12,360 –> 00:06:16,360
Олена Лещук, Мирослав Хотимчук. Для новин на часі.

80
00:06:16,360 –> 00:06:26,360
Олена Лещук, Мирослав Хотимчук.