ILO Okays Elaboration Of Sanctions Against Lukashenka

All three groups of representatives in the organization spoke in support of this idea.

The elaboration of sanctions under Article 33 of the ILO Constitution can begin for violations of workers' rights by the authorities.

All three groups of representatives in the International Labor Organization — governments, employers and workers, spoke in support of the sanctions, the Radio Svaboda website reports.

Russia, Iran and China opposed the elaboration of sanctions.

The final vote will take place on November 8. After discussion by the Governing Body in March, the issue will be submitted to the 111th ILO Conference in June 2023.

Article 33 reads as follows:

“In the event of any Member failing to carry out within the time specified the recommendations, if any, contained in the report of the Commission of Inquiry, or in the decision of the International Court of Justice, as the case may be, the Governing Body may recommend to the Conference such action as it may deem wise and expedient to secure compliance therewith.”

On April 18 and 19, a wave of searches and detentions of activists of the independent trade union movement swept across Belarus. Human rights activists recognized representatives of independent trade unions who fell under repression as political prisoners. Their trials will begin in November.

In July, the Supreme Court liquidated all independent trade union organizations: the Belarusian Congress of Democratic Trade Unions and the organizations that were part of it: the Free Trade Union of Belarus (SPB), the Free Trade Union of Metalworkers (SPM), the Belarusian Independent Trade Union of Miners, Chemists, Oil Refiners, Workers, Energy Workers (BNP), and the Belarusian trade union of the radio-electronic industry workers (REP).

International trade union organizations condemned the actions of the Belarusian authorities. The Compliance Committee of the International Labor Organization called on the leadership of Belarus to immediately restore the right of workers to freedom of association.

Article 33 has only been invoked once in history: in 2001 against Myanmar for “the widespread use of forced labor by the civilian population throughout the country by the authorities and the military.”

Then the investigation began in 1997, in 1999 they concluded that none of the three recommendations was being implemented. Only in 2012, the sanctions and restrictions were lifted after they saw “Myanmar's progress in implementing the recommendations.”