Alyaksandr Yarashuk: Regime Fears Deterioration of Relations with ILO and EU
12:17, — Politics
The 301st session of the ILO (International Trade Organisation) Governing Body opened in Geneva on March 6.
As BelaPAN was informed by the leader of the Belarusian Congress of Democratic Trade Unions Alyaksandr Yarashuk, the Belarusian issue is to be studied in the second part of the session which is to last till March 20.
On March 3 the leader of the Belarusian Congress of Democratic Trade Unions (BCDTU) took part in consultations of the All-European regional council of Trade Unions, held in Brussels, Belgium. As said by him, all this time the ILO collected information actively on the actions taken by the Belarusian regime for changing the situation with trade unions. As stated by him, the ILO is working out its decision at the moment.
According to Yarashuk, the Belarusian government hasn’t succeeded in implementation of the ILO recommendations: “Like before, governing bodies are interfering with activities of independent trade unions”. However, the BCDTU leader believes that the most effective measure which could affect the actions of the regime, could be a tight control of the situation in Belarus by the ILO. “From our point of view, the government fears deterioration of relations with the ILO and the EU. It is demonstrated by the fact that the law on trade unions hasn’t been adopted at the spring or autumn session of the parliament. The problem of trade preferences is extremely important for the regime. It seems to me that the understanding that the only way is following the ILO recommendations is coming,” he said.
In 2003 the ILO Governing Body decided to open an investigation against Belarus in connection of trade unions’ complaints. A special Commission of Inquiry analyzed the Belarusian government’s following the ILO “Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining” Convention and “On Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organize” Convention.
The situation in Belarus was also considered at the session of the ILO Committee on the Application of Standards in the framework of the International Labour Conference, Geneva. As a result, on June 8, 2007 Belarus was included into a special paragraph as a country where trade union rights are violated grossly.
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