Two years ago, the regime cracked down on activists from independent trade unions. Nearly twenty people remain imprisoned on trumped-up charges. The regime ruthlessly targeted its opponents, yet again demonstrating that it would rather silence the voices of Belarusians than listen to them.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: “Two years ago, the regime ruthlessly targeted activists from independent trade unions. Nearly two dozen people, including Aliaksandr Yarashuk and Siarhei Antusevich, were detained on trumped-up charges and thrown behind bars. Thus, Lukashenka not only disposed of dissenting leaders but effectively destroyed the movement itself. Over the past 4 years, the regime in Belarus has destroyed more than 1600 non-profit organizations that worked across various fields – sports, culture, and education, among others. However, care for the people is the regime’s last concern. Because its representatives would rather stifle voices of criticism than listen to fair remarks, making people’s lives a bit more comfortable or simpler.
State propaganda likes to call Belarus’ policies socially oriented. But the rights to work and social protection are no longer a thing there. They are replaced by obligations to pay trade union dues and attend propaganda meetings, where all the problems of Belarusians are blamed on the West and America. People expressing outrage and pointing out that a socially oriented government should care about the health of workers or cover expenses for the treatment and rest of children can end up receiving a prison sentence. For what? For inciting social hatred, as in the case of trade union activists Vatslau Areshka and Vasil Berasneu, who were sentenced to almost ten years in prison each. Although if there was any hatred in their words, it was only towards the government’s lack of care for the people…
Today, the regime claims to have revived the trade union movement. But instead of trade unions, workers’ rights are now “defended” by ideologists – and all they “do” is organize unpaid clean-up events and film pro-government videos.
But trade unions are not about forcing workers to participate in events to demonstrate public interest. They are about defending rights and freedoms. About giving people the opportunity to stand up for themselves and demand decent wages and respectful treatment in any situation. About compliance with modern labor standards. I am confident that Belarusians are well aware of this and know what they want – for their opinions to be heard. For their interests to be protected – not the interests of the people willing to exploit others, intimidating them with violence and prison terms”.
