31 March, 2025Since 2022, the independent trade union movement in Belarus has faced relentless dismantling. In the wake of the peaceful protests of 2020, the government escalated its crackdown on civil society, singling out independent trade unions with particular ferocity. Over the course of numerous arrests and trials, more than 40 trade union leaders and activists have been imprisoned, and all independent trade unions have been forcibly dissolved by court order.
The most high-profile case is that of Aliaksandr Yarashuk, former President of the BKDP and a member of the ILO Governing Body, who, along with BKDP Vice-President Siarhei Antusevich and others, was sentenced to harsh prison terms simply for defending workers’ rights.
We cannot allow these injustices to go unnoticed or unchallenged and urgently seek your support for a campaign initiated by the Belarusian Congress of Democratic Trade Unions (BKDP), an independent national trade union centre affiliated with the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC). Among its members, three are affiliates of IndustriALL Global Union, with whom we stand united in demanding justice for our fellow trade unionists in Belarus, who are enduring severe repression.
How you can support the campaign
- Visit the campaign website to learn more about the cases and the broader repression of trade unionists in Belarus, and some actions you can take, such as demanding the release of trade union activists from the Belarusian authorities, sending letters to the Belarusian government, urging your national government
- to take action, submitting appeals to your government demanding support for the ILO resolution adopted in June 2023, and recording a video statement of solidarity.
- Raise awareness by sharing the campaign with your members, on social media, and in your networks.
- Write to your government officials and diplomatic representatives, urging them to pressure Belarus to release all political prisoners, including jailed trade unionists.
- Support solidarity actions such as protests, petitions, or public statements demanding justice and freedom for our colleagues.
This campaign is about more than Belarus — it is about defending the fundamental rights of workers everywhere. When one of us is attacked, we are all at risk. Let us show that the global trade union movement stands together in solidarity.
Let us know about the actions you have taken and tag IndustriALL on social media.