ILO Addresses Workers' Rights Violations in Belarus

With the support of FES, a delegation of Belarusian trade union representatives participated in the ILO Round Table and the 112th International Labour Conference.

On May 28, the International Labour Organization (ILO) hosted a roundtable at its Geneva headquarters to discuss the implementation of a resolution on Belarus, adopted on June 12, 2023. This resolution, addressing Belarus’s violations of workers' rights, calls for actions under Article 33 of the ILO Constitution.

Chaired by ILO Assistant Director-General Manuela Tomei, the roundtable was part of an action plan adopted in March 2024. The meeting highlighted Belarus's longstanding violations of the 1948 Convention on Freedom of Association (No. 87) and the 1949 Convention on the Right to Organize and Collective Bargaining (No. 98).

As a result, the roundtable's findings were discussed at a special ILO Committee session on June 5.

At the 112th International Labour Conference in Geneva, the ILO's Committee on the Application of Standards held a special session on Belarus, focusing on severe violations of labor rights. Reports highlighted the repression and persecution of trade union leaders by the Belarusian government.

Worker representatives informed the Committee that over the past three years, the Belarusian regime has dismantled all independent trade unions, imprisoning nearly 60 union leaders and activists. Among those jailed is Alexander Yaroshuk, Acting ILO Governing Body member, ITUC Vice President, and BKDP Chairman, who was sentenced to four years in prison.

During the August 2020 protests, workers left the pro-government Federation of Trade Unions of Belarus (FPB) to join free and democratic unions, creating new primary organizations. However, these were denied registration, and activists faced persecution.

The session concluded with a reminder that a decision on the Commission's report would be prepared by June 13, with a potential vote due to the lack of consensus. The Committee on the Application of Standards remains a vital part of the ILO's oversight, ensuring member countries comply with international labor standards.
More detailed information on the events can be found at the Belarusian Trade Union Association “Salidarnast” site.