Council of the Belarus Trade Union Federation

Presidium

RESOLUTION

13.09.2000

On the Situation in the Radio and Electronic Industry Workers Union

Having considered the information presented by Mr. G. Fedynich, Chairman of the Republican Committee, Belurus Radio and Electronic Industry Workers Union, and Mr. A.Levitsky, Head of the FTB Council Organizational Department, on the situation resulted from the attempts to split the Union, the FTB Council Presidium

DECREES:

1.To condemn and to consider as inappropriate the ongoing interference of the governmental agencies and managerial personnel into the trade union internal affairs.

2.To consider the actions of the “Integral” Research and Production Association union aimed at leaving the Sector trade union in violation of its Constitution, as detrimental to the Republican trade union movement and leading to the disintegration thereof, which contradicts the interests of employees’ and their organizations.

3.To approve the text of the Appeal of the FTB Council Presidium to trade union members. (Attached). To publish the Appeal and related comments of the Chair of the Republican Trade Union Council in the “Belaruski Chas” newspaper, and to spread it among other media.

4.The FTB member organizations are invited to:

consider the situation and the FTB Council Appeal with their trade union activists at the upcoming Congresses and Conferences, and to take decisions and necessary measures of trade union committees and other bodies as to prevent and exclude similar developments in the future.

To inform the FTB and international institutions of all analogues situations, and when required, to submit material evidence of violations of trade union rights to ILO, ICFTU, WCTU and other institutions;

to appeal promptly to the Procurator’s Office and other law enforcement bodies in order to protect trade unions rights. The Legal and Organizational Departments of the FTB Council have to efficiently prepare necessary recommendations related to trade union rights protection;

to take measures envisaging amending Collective agreements, Tariff and General agreements with special provisions on non-interference of employers into the internal affairs of trade unions.

5.To consider it expedient to pass a special Resolution “On the Unity of the Belarus Trade Union movement” at the 3-d FTB Congress.

Chairman of the Trade Union

Federation

V. Goncharik

Appeal

to the trade union members of the Republic of Belarus 

The FTB Presidium appeals to all trade union members is relation to the repeated attempts to split and weaken trade union movement, to ruin the industrial principle of trade union formation through establishing separate, and in fact “pocket”, enterprise unions.

Thus, in September, under the pressure of top managers of the Research and Production “Integral” Association, the trade union committee of the Dzerzhinsky plant, took a poorly motivated and illegal decision on leaving the Sectoral Radio and Electronic Industry Union and forming their own enterprise union. In fact, due to the union activists who revealed weakness and lack of principles, the unity of trade union movements was severely endangered.

The decision was taken in violation of the Union Constitution and Resolutions of the FTB Council. It contradicts the Belarus Law “On Trade Unions”. Forming this kind of unions also contradicts Article 2 of the ILO Convention 98, providing that workers’ organizations enjoy protection against any interference into the trade union activities and management on behalf of employers.

At present the “Integral” Association’s leadership is trying to force trade union committees of other sector enterprises (“Tsvetotron”, “Electronika”, “Transistor”) to take similar decisions.

The FTB Council Presidium resolutely condemns these arbitrary administrative practices and attempts to put pressure upon trade unions and their bodies, and reaffirms its adherence to the sectoral principle of trade union formation and their unity.

The FTB Council Presidium calls upon all members and activists of the Sectoral Radio and Electronic Industry Union, as well as other unions, to stay firm and repel all attempts of intimidation and violations of union rights and to split the Republican trade union movement.

Only together we can effectively fight for our right to work and have a decent life.

Solidarity is our strength

FTB Council Presidium

September 13, 2000