On November 29–30, 2024, the German city of Bremen hosted an international conference “Belarus: Union action under Article 33” organized by the Association Salidarnast e.V.
The event brought together around 40 representatives of national and international trade union associations, as well as NGOs from Europe, North America, and Africa. The aim of the event was to coordinate the international labour movement’s efforts to bring pressure on the Government of Belarus to make it implement the recommendations of the International Labour Organization (ILO) under Article 33 of its Constitution.
For the past two decades, Belarus has shown systemic violations of labour rights. State-run enterprises are used by the authority as tools for exerting political pressure, restricting workers’ rights to freedom of association and to organize, and reinforcing their dependence on their employer. This leads to direct subordination of workers to the State.
In accordance with Article 33 of the ILO Constitution, the international community demands that Belarus should immediately receive a tripartite mission of the ILO which would assess the implementation of the ILO Commission of Inquiry’s recommendations. Visiting imprisoned trade union leaders should be another of the mission’s most important tasks. However, 18 months after the adoption of the Article 33 Resolution, this requirement remains unfulfilled.
Opening the Conference, Lizaveta Merliak, Chairperson of the Salidarnast Association, spoke of her organization’s activities during the past year, highlighting the fact that the situation in Belarus, Myanmar, and Hong Kong is a challenge to the whole global labour movement. The introduction part was followed by the first panel discussion titled “Authoritarian regimes and “yellow” unions: A challenge to the global labour movement”.
The participants identified the key challenges. Authoritarian governments using State-controlled “yellow” unions to discredit the independent trade union movement. And undermining international trade union institutes through pro-government organizations like the Trade Union Federation of Belarus (FPB).
The Conference participants including Daniel Oberko representing the Public Services International (PSI) and Kıvanç Eliaçık from the Turkish Confederation of Revolutionary Workers (DISK) stressed that the practice of putting pressure on trade unions is common in Eurasia, Africa and Central America.
Daniel Oberko pointed out that time had come for the labour movement in the Global South to increase the support of their colleagues in the North. Kıvanç Eliaçık believes that solidarity should be a two-way street — exchange of information and coordination of efforts among regions will help step up their struggle.
The Belarusian union leader Maksim Pazniakou expressed confidence that changes inside the country would lead to the disappearance of the FPB as a structure. Siarhei Antusevich added that the FPB would be replaced by a new association building on the rich experience accumulated by the independent trade union movement in the last 30 years.
Kirill Buketov of the International Union of Food and Agricultural Workers (IUF) spoke of the risks associated with the integration of “yellow” unions from authoritarian regimes into international trade union structures.
“Accepting “yellow” unions in international trade union structures, we take a big risk, as one day they could overwhelm the democratic organizations”, said the IUF representative. He suggested that democratic trade unions should move from defensive strategies to offensive ones.
The second panel discussion of the Conference focused on international methods of bringing pressure to bear on political regimes that violate workers’ rights. The discussion revolved around ways to implement Article 33 of the ILO Constitution and tie its implementation to international sanctions. Participants from the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Poland, France, Norway, and Switzerland noted challenges in promoting the Article.
The participants voiced proposals to introduce individual sanctions against officials involved in the dissolution of independent trade unions and the ongoing persecution of workers. As well as linking the implementation of Article 33 of the ILO Constitution to the requirements to be met by Belarus for the existing sanctions to be reconsidered.
Frank Hoffer remarked: “Today they (the Belarusian authorities – Author’s Note) are sniggering at our efforts, yet nobody has expected to see the successes we have already achieved. In the future, the last laugh shall be ours”.
The Conference participants stressed that, despite limited resources, solidarity-based actions can lead to significant changes. The main message of the event has been that only coordinated efforts of the international labour movement can lead to the release of the imprisoned union leaders and respect for workers’ rights and justice.
The Bremen Conference has become a major step towards joining unions’ efforts in the struggle against authoritarianism and violations of workers’ rights.
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