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Minsk, July 11. A delegation of the
International Confederation of Free Trade Unions headed by the
ICFTU Secretary General Bill Jordan is here on an official
visit. The delegation visited Belarus in relation to a formal
complaint submitted to the ILO by Belorussian trade unions
because of massive violations of labor rights in the Republic.
The delegation includes representatives of the
Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Russia headed by its
Chair Michael Shmakov, the Netherlands Trade Union Center FNV
(Leo Messman), the Czech Trade Union Chamber (Richard Falbr),
and International Trade Union Secretariats (UNI, ICEM, IUF).
The Delegation had a meeting with the
leadership and activists of the Congress of Democratic Trade
Unions of Belarus and the Federation of Trade Unions
Belorussian. The meeting, opened by Vladimir Goncharick, Head
of the FTUB, stated that the problems encountered by the
Belorussian Trade Unions are new for the whole post-Soviet
territory. However, they are not unique and soon may become
critical for other republics of the CIS.
Those speaking at the meeting stressed that
the powers have fixed two major goals: to destroy all free
trade unions by means of registration denial, and, secondly,
to place under command traditional trade unions, including the
Federation of Trade Unions Belorussian. All this is happening
on the eve of the election campaign in order to neutralize any
independent force. The Federation of Trade Unions Belorussian
is radically disputing such an approach.
The meeting participants referred to numerous
facts of persecutions for trade union activities and
registration denials under different excuses and in compliance
with Presidential decrees, as well as cases of forceful
eviction, violence, threatening and intimidation of those
belonging to unwanted trade unions.
At the same time, pressure is put on the
leaders of national and regional and sectoral trade unions -
members of the Trade Unions Federation Belorussian, namely,
the powers are trying to influence a sectoral trade union
election process and to replace all union leaders who dare
criticize the Governmental economic policy. At present the
unprecedented pressure is put upon the delegates of the 3-d
Congress of the Belorussian Trade Union of Agricultural
Workers due to open on July 12 in Minsk.
Richard Falbr has informed the meeting that
tomorrow, on July 12, in Prague the Czech Senate (Parliament)
will consider the issue of human rights violations in Belarus.
The Czech Trade Unions will inform the Senate members of what
they witnessed in Minsk. He also said that, as a Senate
member, on the eve of considering the issue, he got a letter
of the Belorussian Ambassador in Prague in which the
Ambassador strongly recommended to take a very sensitive and
balanced approach when considering human rights violations in
Belarus. However, the realistic information proves that the
situation is indeed much worse than it looks in Prague.
Bill Jordan, ICFTU General Secretary, stated
that this attack against trade unions may be considered as the
first action of the Administration or the regime attempting to
establish dictatorship. In case the power put trade unions
under command and violated their rights, it starts its attack
against all freedoms and civil rights in society. He also
stated that ICFTU will support Belorussian Trade Unions in
their resistance to dictatorship and pressure no matter how
long the struggle for human and trade union rights may last in
the Republic.
Michael Shmakov, Chairman of the FNPR, made an
oral statement in which he, on behalf of the Russian Trade
Union Center, expressed his support to the Belorussian Trade
Unions, and characterized the Belorussian situation as
dictatorship actions directed against trade unions which may
become even more dangerous by spreading over other countries
of the same region.
All these issues will be addressed tomorrow,
on July 12, at the meeting of Bill Jordan with representatives
of the Belorussian Presidential Administration and the
Government.
A press conference of Bill Jordan, ICFTU
General Secretary, will take place tomorrow at 12.00 at the
Trade Union Palace in Minsk (Prospekt Masherova,21).
For more information: Federation of Trade
Unions Belorussian: + 375 (172) 33-89-59, 33-89-93, 23-8828.
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