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Trade Unions prohibited marking May 1

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Trade Unions prohibited marking May 1

The authorities of Minsk have banned to the Belarusian Congress of Democratic Trade Unions holding a meeting dedicated to the Day of International Solidarity of Workers.

The prohibition to hold a rally, which had been planned in the Park of People’s Friendship in Minsk, is contained in a letter from Minsk city executive committee and signed by the deputy chairman Ihar Karpenka, the press-service of the BCDTU informs. The official explained his answer by the fact that according to a previously approved plan, “a mass folk festival with a concert and entertainment programme” is to be held in the Park of People’s Friendship on May 1, and “sports competitions”, BelaPAN informs.

“It’s cynicism to announce a festival of labour for workers, as it is done by our authorities,” the leader of the BCDTU Alyaksandr Yarashuk said. “Blood of workers was spilled on May 1, that is why this day has become the Day of International Solidarity of workers. For about 10 years we have not been allowed to hold mass events on May 1.”

Yarashuk noted that the Congress (BCDTU) had planned to pose “problems of Belarusian workers and independent trade union” during the meeting, as today “a serious deterioration of social and economic situation in the country is observed, and also of a legal situation of workers after the notorious presidential decrees №3 and №5 were adopted.” “The situation of independent trade unions has not become better either. Our organisations are discriminated against, and they continue to experience pressure from the government,” the leader of the independent trade union organisation stressed.

As it was informed earlier, in the middle of April the BCDTU applied for holding a May Day meeting in the Park of People’s Friendship in Minsk. They wanted to bring together about 500 members of the four organisations who are members of the Congress: the Belarusian Independent Trade Union, the Free Trade Union of Metal Workers, the Free Trade Union of Belarus and the Trade Union of Workers of Radio and Electronic Industry.

It should be noted that the authorities of Minsk almost always refuse to issue approvals for independent trade unions for holding events on the First of May. In recent years their denials are usually explained by the fact that “mass festive events with concerts and sports programme” would be held in the places where trade union activists want to hold a meeting. As said by Yarashuk, the only time since the beginning of 2000ies when Minsk city executive committee officially authorized holding a meeting on May Day, was “ten years ago in the Park of the 50th Anniversary of the Great October, when 500 participants gathered.”

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