Rights violations continue in Belarus

BELARUS: During its meeting last week in San Diego, California, the IMF Executive Committee issued a strong statement (full text on associate link) in support of the IMF's two Belarus affiliates, the Automobile & Agricultural Machinery Workers' Union (AAM) and the Radio & Electronics Industry Workers' Union (REI). The two unions are fighting to safeguard the independent trade union movement in Belarus. Since September 2002, when the Congress of the Federation of Trade Unions of Belarus (FTUB) elected Leonid Kozik as its new president, the situation for the country's independent trade unions has been steadily worsening. The election of Kozik, the former deputy head of Belarus President Lukashenko's Administration and unknown in the trade union movement, was achieved through blatant violations of internationally accepted trade union rights and any kind of conventions or principles of the International Labour Organisation. A real campaign is in action in Belarus aimed at removing from office the presidents of the AAM and REI, Aliaksandr Bukhvostau and Gennadi Fedynitch. State authorities, management of companies and the state-run mass media are putting intense pressure on the two unions and actively harassing and persecuting the trade union leaders and those who support them. The IMF is appealing to all its members to support the Belarus affiliates by sending protests to the Belarus authorities, as well as letters to their own governments to urge them to influence the leadership of Belarus to stop the violations of workers' rights. Letters for Belarus government authorities can be addressed to:

• A.G. Lukashenko
  President of the Republic of Belarus
  Administration of the President of Belarus
  Fax: ++375/17 2260610
  E-mail (from president's official website): www.president.gov.by/eng/president/
• Council of Ministers
  Fax: ++375/17 2226665

Kindly send copies to:

• AAM
  Fax: ++375/17 2238160
  E-mail: [email protected]
• REI
  Fax: ++375/17 2844187
  E-mail: [email protected]
• IMF
  Fax: ++41/22 3085055
  E-mail: [email protected]