On February 27-28, 2024, the Acting President of the Belarusian Congress of Democratic Trade Unions (BKDP) Maksim Pazniakou met high-ranking Italian MPs and labour movement representatives during his visit to Rome.
One of the first day’s highlights was his meeting with Senator Stefania Craxi, President of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee of the Italian Senate. The meeting focused on the situation of human and trade union rights in Belarus, with Pazhiakou providing a detailed account of events and the challenges faced by the labour movement in the country.
Maksim Pazhiakou also met Pierpaolo Bombardieri, General Secretary of the UIL, one of the leading trade union confederations in Italy. The meeting showed support and solidarity with Belarusian trade union leaders and activists who were imprisoned for doing their job.
The tightly packed schedule included meetings and a press-conference with representatives of the three largest Italian trade union centers, UIL, CGIL, and CISL, where important issues related to violations of trade union rights and freedoms in Belarus were raised. The final chord of the day was a meeting with the Belarusian diaspora in Rome.
On February 28, Maksim Pazniakou continued his visit to the Eternal City with a meeting with the CGIL General Secretary Maurizio Landini. They discussed the situation of independent trade unions in Belarus and violations of Belarusian unionists’ rights and freedoms.
With the support of UIL, CGIL, and CISL, the leader of the Belarusian independent trade union movement took part in parliamentary hearings and met Italian MPs who are now well-informed about the situation of independent unions in Belarus and those leaders and activists who were thrown in jail for their trade union activities.
The productive day of meetings and discussions highlighted the relevance of international support in the fight for freedom and justice in Belarus.
Comments