Belarusian professional leaders defend Lukashenko in Geneva
The 113th session of the International Labour Conference, the largest trade union association, is taking place in Geneva these days. It is attended by representatives of the government and trade unions of Belarus. Minsk envoys accuse Western countries of deviating from the principles of social justice. However, they also receive complaints about reprisals against trade union leaders from delegates from the global South.
The International Labour Conference (ILO), held in Geneva, is attended by representatives from a wide variety of countries from all continents. A delegation from Belarus is also present at the forum. Meanwhile, exactly two years ago, at the 111th session of the ILO, Article No. 33 of the organization’s Charter was applied to Minsk.
It gives the conference the right to impose various restrictive measures against the country. The ILO had already expressed concern about how the Belarusian authorities were fulfilling their obligations under the Conventions on Freedom of Association and on the Right to Organize and Conduct Collective Bargaining.
Of course, it is especially unpleasant for Minsk in this situation that Article 33 is applied not only rarely, but, one might say, in a unique way. Before Belarus, it was “awarded” only to Myanmar for the use of forced labor of prisoners.
But all this does not bother the envoys of Minsk. Chairman of the Federation of Trade Unions of Belarus Yuri Senko, speaking at the 113th session, went on the offensive.
“For decades, Belarusian trade unions have been participating in the work of the ILO. And every year we hear calls for social justice from a high rostrum. We hear the commitments of the leaders of the leading countries to pursue honest policies aimed at achieving universal well-being. Unfortunately, practice shows that all this is nothing more than big words. Every day the world moves further away from social justice and true democracy,” Senko stressed. “The real concern for the man of work in a number of countries, including those that have set themselves up as the standard of democracy, is being replaced by loud slogans, populism and demagoguery.”
The Belarusian trade union leader proudly stated: “Our country has already ensured the fulfillment of those values to which the ILO only calls on the entire world community. All Belarusians, without exception, have the necessary social guarantees, including in education and medicine. The government provides tremendous support to motherhood and childhood. The conditions for productive and efficient employment have been created. As a result, we have the lowest global unemployment rate. All these achievements are the result of a solid social dialogue in our country and an honest policy of the state in the international arena.”
However, the ILO leadership, instead of heeding these words, opened a discussion within the Committee on the Application of Standards on the measures proposed by the Governing body to implement Article 33 of the ILO Constitution.
During this event, Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Protection of Belarus Igor Starovoitov stressed that the prisoners, whose fate the ILO is concerned about, “were convicted of illegal actions, not for trade union activities.” And in turn, he accused Western representatives of politicizing the issue and creating a “mechanism of pressure on undesirable countries.”
Representatives of the Belarusian Congress of Democratic Trade Unions (BKDP), an organization that is part of the ILO, but whose activities in Belarus have been terminated for three years by the Supreme Court for “participating in destructive activities, mass events that violate public order, and the dissemination of extremist information products,” also took part in the discussion.
Maxim Poznyakov, acting chairman of the BKDP, told one of the opposition Internet resources: “At the meeting, we saw and heard support for the position of the Belarusian authorities from the governments of only a few countries: Russia, partly China and Turkmenistan, Cuba, Iran, Pakistan, Algeria, Zimbabwe. The Belarusian delegation was very upset by the speech of the Brazilian workers’ representative, who condemned the repression of independent trade unions and the violation of the right to freedom of association. By the way, there was not a single speech from the workers in support of the position of the government of Belarus.”
The BKDP leader stressed that the position of the representatives of Belarus, who simply deny any grounds for claims against Minsk, seems counterproductive to him: “All the information that was voiced at the meeting about the repression of trade union leaders and activists in Belarus, the destruction of independent trade unions and other violations of workers’ rights in the country is well known, documented and confirmed not only by experts. The International Labour Organization, but also the Special Rapporteur on Belarus and a group of independent UN experts, various human rights organizations. Therefore, the denial of such information by the Belarusian authorities looks, in my opinion, stupid.”
At the same time, the opposition professional leader does not insist on harsh measures, but rather suggests starting a search for compromises. He notes: “We have called on the Belarusian government to change its position and start constructive cooperation with the International Labour Organization. After all, the ILO is a unique organization, and it should and can become a platform for an honest and serious discussion on Belarus. And the first step for this discussion should be the release of all trade unionists who are in prison.”