ILO Decisions Can Have a Significant Impact on Lukanomics

This was stated by one of the leaders of the Belarusian Congress of Democratic Trade Unions.

Actions against workers can have dire consequences for the regime in Belarus.

- There has been pressure on the independent trade union all the time, but this has never happened, - says Siarhei Antusevich, Deputy Chairman of the Belarusian Congress of Democratic Trade Unions (BKDP), on the repressions at OJSC Hrodna Azot. - Detentions, attempts to discredit, dismissal, appeals to the prosecutor's office...

There are very few countries in the world that allow themselves to ignore the appeals and requirements of the International Labor Organization. And what is being done now in the center of Europe, in a country that has ratified all the fundamental conventions of the ILO, goes beyond common sense.

The deputy chairman of the BKDP said that all international organizations are promptly informed about all repressions.

- Informing has already switched to online mode because news appears not just every day but every hour. And we can see how shocked our colleagues in the international trade union movement are.

Usually, the governments of all countries try to strictly comply with the requirements indicated by international trade union organizations, global unions, and international trade union confederations.

In 2004, the ILO Commission of Inquiry worked in Belarus and then revealed several violations that have not been eliminated to date. And now the situation with workers' rights continues to worsen, - said the trade union leader.

He recalled that, at one time, it was thanks to the control mechanisms of the ILO that it was possible to put an end to discrimination against independent trade unions at OJSC Hrodna Azot and to defend the primary organization.

- We have managed to keep the organization up to now. Since August 9 last year, it has increased many times over. And I think that the primary organization of the independent trade union at the enterprise will continue to work despite the unprecedented wave of repression.

I think the main purpose of this pressure is to intimidate. We do not know for what reason people are being detained, in what status they are, etc. Of course, sooner or later, we will find out all the details. Obviously, the people who put pressure on us do not understand why they are doing it. They simply execute the order and do not think about the consequences,” Siarhei Antusevich says.

He is confident that ignoring the fundamental norms of international law and legislation can have grave consequences for the entire country, in particular, affect the socio-economic situation. The ILO can become another significant voice against the Belarusian regime in the international arena.

- After all, there has already been a precedent when, due to non-compliance with the requirements of the ILO, based on their recommendations, the EU decided to exclude Belarus from the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP). And now the decisions of the ILO can significantly affect the economy of Belarus, already undermined by the sanctions,” the source of Salidarnastsi does not exclude.