ILO: Belarus wont’ be returned EU preferences

Governing Body of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) calls on the Belarusian government to guarantee freedom of organisations of workers and employers. BelaPAN learnt it from Kari Tapiola, ILO Executive Director responsible for Standards and Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, who summarised the considering of the Belarusian issue at 301th ILO Governing Body session in Geneva on 19 March.

According to him, a report by Belarusian minister of labour and social protection Uladzimir Patupchyk on fulfilling ILO recommendation by the government was heard at the sitting of experts of Belarusian issue. In particular, the report said a draft law on trade unions hadn’t been yet introduced to the “parliament,” and the National Council on Labour and Social Issues of Belarus would discuss the fulfilling of the ILO recommendations by the Belarusian Government. U. Patupchyk also informed the experts that a seminar on trade union discrimination would be organised later. It will be attended by ILO representatives, all trade unions and employers’ organisations.

K. Tapiola noted the Governing Body considered both official report and statements of workers, saying about harassment of representatives of free trade unions and violation of their rights.

“The Governing Body regrets the Belarusian government has failed to achieve progress in fulfilling ILO special commission’s recommendations since November 2007,” K. Tapiola noted. According to him, there is a great probability that the Belarusian situation will be further discussed by ILO experts.

As BelaPAN informed earlier, in 2003 the ILO Governing Body decided to start up an investigation of Belarusian issue in the connection of claim of the independent trade unions. A special commission analysed the observance by the republic’s government the ILO Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convection and Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention. The situation in Belarus was also considered at the sitting of the ILO Committee on Norms and Standards at the 95th International Labour Conference in Geneva. As a result 8 June 2007 Belarus for the fifth time was included in the special paragraph of the International Labour Conference Report as a country, where rights of trade union were violated.

Belarus was excluded from the EU General System of Preferences for violation of rights of trade unions in June 2007.