Democratic unions to put up tent camp in June in support of ILO recommendations :: Charter'97 :: News

Activists of the Belarusian Congress of Democratic Trade Unions (BCDTU) intend to put up a tent camp in a Minsk park in June to attract international attention to the government’s failure to fulfill recommendations of the International Labor Organization (ILO).

The weeklong protest will be timed to coincide with an ILO conference, Aleksandr Yaroshuk, leader of the BCDTU, told BelaPAN.

“Authorities will find it difficult to deny us a protest permit, because the denial would indicate the lack of intention to improve the position of trade unions in the country,” he said.

The international organization gave Belarus until June 1, 2005 to make changes in the country`s laws to allow unions to organize freely, and guarantee protection to labor unions that have been subject to harassment.

The ILO Governing Body adopted the recommendations after considering a 200-page report compiled by a special commission formed to probe the Belarusian government`s alleged interference in the activities of trade unions.