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7 August, 2005ICEM News release No. 81/2000
Trade union unity and an end to government interference in union affairs. Those were the top priorities for Belarus unions as they met in Minsk on 10-11 October at the Congress of the Federation of Trade Unions of Belarus (FTUB).
It was a crucial event, because the Belarus unions are under massive pressure from the country's President Alexander Lukashenko and his administration. Labour rights have been curtailed and administrative meddling in union affairs is widespread. In fact, the holding of the Congress was in doubt at one stage because of a government decision to close a union bank account and of threats to prosecute union leaders.
The world trade union movement has mounted a strong campaign in defence of Belarus workers' rights. This week, Lukashenko received a further protest from Fred Higgs, General Secretary of the 20-million-strong International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM).
The Lukashenko administration has taken a whole series of measures that violate the basic trade union rights standards of the UN's International Labour Organisation (ILO), Higgs pointed out. These abuses include "compulsory registration procedures sanctioned by liquidation of union organisations, minimum membership requirements, restrictions on the right to strike and discrimination against trade union members."
Now, a special ILO mission is to visit Belarus in response to the unions' formal complaint over violations of core ILO standards. This was announced at the Minsk Congress by the ILO's Frank Hoffer. In a sign of the seriousness with which developments in Belarus are viewed, the mission will be headed by ILO Deputy Director-General Kari Tapiola.
World union support was also very much in evidence at the FTUB Congress. Many national and international union federations attended, including the ICEM.
ICEM regional coordinator Andrei Mrost brought the Congress a message of support from the international's affiliated unions worldwide. In particular, he expressed the solidarity of Serbian mining, energy and chemical workers.
As Mrost pointed out, the Milosevic regime survived a major NATO bombing campaign, but could not withstand the wrath of organised labour ...
Immediately after the Congress, Mrost met with all the ICEM's Belarus affiliates. They agreed that the unions are now the main bulwark of democracy in Belarus, and a plan of further action was drawn up on that basis.
Russian trade unions were also prominent at the Minsk event, as they have been throughout the solidarity campaign. There are plans for a form of political union between Belarus and Russia. And as the Congress heard from Mikhail Shmakov, President of the Russian Federation of Independent Trade Unions, the draft labour legislation for this Belarus-Russia union combines the worst aspects of each country's current laws.
Despite hostile campaigns in the state-run media, the Congress made it clear that the Belarus unions will not let themselves be gagged on issues that the government labels "political". The FTUB is not beholden to any political party, but it believes that unions have every reason to criticise current social and economic policy, to demand higher living standards and to protest against all attempts to transform their organisations into a voiceless and obedient appendix of the government.
"Stop defaming the unions!" thundered FTUB President Vladimir Goncharik. "We all need to realise that we cannot survive alone. Only our concerted will and joint actions will lead us to success and help improve workers' living standards. Together, we are unions. Together, we will win."
Goncharik received a standing ovation and was unanimously re-elected him for a five-year term.
Also addressing the Congress was Belarus Prime Minister Vladimir Yermoshin. Clearly distancing himself from Lukashenko, the Prime Minister said he hoped the unions could settle their differences with the President. Yermoshin also condemned as "an error" the attempts by some enterprise managers to set up bogus "yellow unions", in response to presidential guidelines for splitting organised labour.
Meanwhile, Belarus workers face economic disaster. Even on official figures, almost half the population is now below the poverty line. One in five industrial enterprises is unprofitable. Presidential decrees forcing enterprises to take out bank loans to finance wages have only made matters worse. The FTUB's Vladimir Goncharik condemned as short-sighted the current official policy of hindering the development of non-governmental economic sectors.
The Congress passed an action programme for 2001-2005 and a resolution on trade union unity. It also decided to hold consultations on FTUB affiliation to the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions. And, bearing in mind that the sectoral unions are still under pressure and their bank accounts are frozen, the FTUB Council was empowered to coordinate protest action.
The message from the Minsk congress was very clear. The Belarus unions are standing firm, and world labour is standing with them.
It was a crucial event, because the Belarus unions are under massive pressure from the country's President Alexander Lukashenko and his administration. Labour rights have been curtailed and administrative meddling in union affairs is widespread. In fact, the holding of the Congress was in doubt at one stage because of a government decision to close a union bank account and of threats to prosecute union leaders.
The world trade union movement has mounted a strong campaign in defence of Belarus workers' rights. This week, Lukashenko received a further protest from Fred Higgs, General Secretary of the 20-million-strong International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM).
The Lukashenko administration has taken a whole series of measures that violate the basic trade union rights standards of the UN's International Labour Organisation (ILO), Higgs pointed out. These abuses include "compulsory registration procedures sanctioned by liquidation of union organisations, minimum membership requirements, restrictions on the right to strike and discrimination against trade union members."
Now, a special ILO mission is to visit Belarus in response to the unions' formal complaint over violations of core ILO standards. This was announced at the Minsk Congress by the ILO's Frank Hoffer. In a sign of the seriousness with which developments in Belarus are viewed, the mission will be headed by ILO Deputy Director-General Kari Tapiola.
World union support was also very much in evidence at the FTUB Congress. Many national and international union federations attended, including the ICEM.
ICEM regional coordinator Andrei Mrost brought the Congress a message of support from the international's affiliated unions worldwide. In particular, he expressed the solidarity of Serbian mining, energy and chemical workers.
As Mrost pointed out, the Milosevic regime survived a major NATO bombing campaign, but could not withstand the wrath of organised labour ...
Immediately after the Congress, Mrost met with all the ICEM's Belarus affiliates. They agreed that the unions are now the main bulwark of democracy in Belarus, and a plan of further action was drawn up on that basis.
Russian trade unions were also prominent at the Minsk event, as they have been throughout the solidarity campaign. There are plans for a form of political union between Belarus and Russia. And as the Congress heard from Mikhail Shmakov, President of the Russian Federation of Independent Trade Unions, the draft labour legislation for this Belarus-Russia union combines the worst aspects of each country's current laws.
Despite hostile campaigns in the state-run media, the Congress made it clear that the Belarus unions will not let themselves be gagged on issues that the government labels "political". The FTUB is not beholden to any political party, but it believes that unions have every reason to criticise current social and economic policy, to demand higher living standards and to protest against all attempts to transform their organisations into a voiceless and obedient appendix of the government.
"Stop defaming the unions!" thundered FTUB President Vladimir Goncharik. "We all need to realise that we cannot survive alone. Only our concerted will and joint actions will lead us to success and help improve workers' living standards. Together, we are unions. Together, we will win."
Goncharik received a standing ovation and was unanimously re-elected him for a five-year term.
Also addressing the Congress was Belarus Prime Minister Vladimir Yermoshin. Clearly distancing himself from Lukashenko, the Prime Minister said he hoped the unions could settle their differences with the President. Yermoshin also condemned as "an error" the attempts by some enterprise managers to set up bogus "yellow unions", in response to presidential guidelines for splitting organised labour.
Meanwhile, Belarus workers face economic disaster. Even on official figures, almost half the population is now below the poverty line. One in five industrial enterprises is unprofitable. Presidential decrees forcing enterprises to take out bank loans to finance wages have only made matters worse. The FTUB's Vladimir Goncharik condemned as short-sighted the current official policy of hindering the development of non-governmental economic sectors.
The Congress passed an action programme for 2001-2005 and a resolution on trade union unity. It also decided to hold consultations on FTUB affiliation to the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions. And, bearing in mind that the sectoral unions are still under pressure and their bank accounts are frozen, the FTUB Council was empowered to coordinate protest action.
The message from the Minsk congress was very clear. The Belarus unions are standing firm, and world labour is standing with them.