Statement by the BKDP Executive Committee

    The Executive Committee of the Belarusian Congress of Democratic Trade Unions issued a statement regarding the persecution of activists of the independent trade union movement.

     

    No. 12 dated July 15, 2021          

    to the Minister of Labour and Social Protection of the Republic of Belarus

    I.A. Kostevich

     

    Statement

    of the Executive Committee of the Association of Trade Unions

    “Belarusian Congress of Democratic Trade Unions” (BKDP)

                                       

    On July 14, officers of the internal affairs bodies searched the house of the leader of the Belarusian Free Trade Union (SPB), the member of the Council for Improvement of Legislation in the Social and Labour Field under the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection Nikolai Sharakh who lives in Polotsk. Nikolai was detained for 72 hours, he is suspected of being involved in a criminal offense.

    The BKDP Executive Committee will urgently inform the International Labour Organization (ILO), the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), which the independent trade union center is a member of, of another outrageous violation of the rights of trade unions in Belarus, the search and arrest of the leader of the SPB Nikolai Sharakh who has immunity from prosecution for his trade union activities in accordance with the ILO Conventions ratified by Belarus.

    The BKDP Executive Committee requires the government to immediately release Nikolai Sharakh!

    The BKDP Executive Committee calls on the authorities to immediately stop the reprisals and terror against independent trade unions, their leaders, activists and members.

    The BKDP Executive Committee requires the government to immediately appoint a meeting of the Council for Improvement of Legislation in the Social and Labour Field under the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection, in order to give a fundamental assessment of the fact of repressions and persecution against one of its members and one of the BKDP leaders Nikolai Sharakh, as well as to discuss the measures outlined by the BKDP aimed at implementing the Recommendations of the 2004 Commission of Inquiry of the ILO and the Conclusion of the 2021 Committee on the Application of Standards (CAS) of the ILO on the elimination of violations of the rights of workers and trade unions in Belarus.

     

    July 14, 2021

    Minsk

    Chairman

    A.I. Yaroshuk

    15.07.2021