“Yesterday, the International Labour Organization adopted a resolution on Belarus, calling on member states to review their relations with the Lukashenka regime. The ILO has only taken such a decision once before. The vast majority of the organization's members from around the world, namely 301, voted in favor of this resolution. The delegation of the Lukashenka regime was also present at the vote, trying to convince the international community to vote otherwise, but failed.
For many years, the regime in Belarus has violated citizens' rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining, deliberately ignoring any recommendations. Since 2020, it has liquidated all independent trade unions and arrested more than 40 trade union leaders and activists. The ILO's resolution makes perfect sense in view of systematic violations of the rights of Belarusian workers and repression.
Undoubtedly, practical steps must follow the resolution. International support for independent Belarusian trade unions and repressed workers should be provided. States and businesses should genuinely stop any relations with the criminal regime and not provide it with financial and technical assistance. And, of course, real mechanisms for making an impact on the regime are needed to end repression against workers, allow lawyers access to convicted trade union leaders and activists, and secure their release”.
