ILO asks Belarus to work at self-improvement till November

Alexander Jaroshuk - the leader of the Belarusian Congress of Democratic Trade Unions (BCDTU) – has informed Belapan, that such a decision was accepted on the 6^th of June as a result of the consideration of the Belarusian issue by the Committee on the application of standards (ILO) within the 97-th session of the International Labour Conference (ILC) in Geneva.

In the year 2003 the Administrative Board of the ILO decided to start an investigation on Belarus on the grounds of complaint of the independent trade unions about violation of their rights. During the investigation the facts of the violation of the rights of the labor were confirmed by international experts. Belarus was 5 times included into the special paragraph of the report of the International Labour Conference as a country, where the rights of the trade unions are being violated. Last time it happened on the 8^th of June 2007. At the same time ILO developed several recommendations to the Belarusian government and if these are implemented, the country will be excluded from the special paragraph.

According to Jaroshuk, it is pityingly noted, that there is no progress in Belarus in implementing recommendations of the ILO, although there are some “positive signals.” In particular, on the 16^th of April the government rejected the “discriminating” law about trade unions. 

Besides, till the end of the year, there will be organized two seminars, devoted to the problems of the development of trade unions. First of them, dedicated to reveal the problems of the discrimination of the trade unions, will take place on the18th of June in Minsk. Head of the International Labour Office Kari Tapiola, experts of the Office, representatives of the international trade union organizations and the others will take part in this seminar.

“This year the discussion of the Belarusian issue was held in a different way comparing with the previous years, – commented Jaroshuk on the course of the session in Geneva. – From the government’s side there was seen certain positive and desire to collaborate with independent trade unions”. The head of the BCDTU reckons that taking into consideration these positive changes, the situation requires now flexible and constructive resolution.

The official of the press-office of the ILO Leticia Dard informed Belapan, that the resolution on the Belarusian issue will be approved by the Committee on the application of standards on the 12^th of June, and the next day it has to be approved on the plenary session of the ILO.

Source