More threats against Belarus metal unions

BELARUS: The Belarus president, Alexander Lukashenko, has renewed serious threats against the leaders of the IMF's two Belarus affiliates, the Automobile & Agricultural Machinery Workers Union (AAM) and the Radio & Electronics Industry Workers' Union (REI). In pursuing his attempts to destroy what is left of the independent trade union movement in Belarus and to remove from office Aliaksandr Bukhvostau, AAM president, and Gennadi Fedynitch, REI president, Lukashenko has instructed the minister of industry to "resolve the issues" related to both trade union presidents within the next two months. Lukashenko is quoted as having stated on March 27 at a conference for national and local governing bodies that "certain union leaders continue to be engaged in politics associating themselves with implacable opposition with the state." He then refers specifically to the AAM and REI leaders. Among examples of the Belarus government's more recent violations of free trade union rights was in December 2002 when, prior to plenums of the AAM and REI, authorities put strong pressure on union members to drop their support for Bukhvostau and Fedynitch, but without success. In the struggle against Lukashenko's attempts to place all Belarus trade unions under state control, the IMF is actively assisting its two Belarus affiliates.