The Lukashenko regime has continued the persecution of trade unionists, imprisoning several union leaders and staff in recent months and liquidating trade unions. Last week, the tripartite ILO Governing Body concluded that any ILO engagement with Belarus will be frozen, and submitted a resolution to this year’s International Labour Conference. International pressure will continue and build until the Lukashenko government respects workers’ fundamental rights to freedom of association and collecti
A court in Belarus has sentenced leaders of independent trade unions to unduly harsh prison terms up to nine years on politically motivated charges.To date, courts in Belarus have sentenced at least 16 leaders and activists of independent unions to lengthy prison terms or restriction of freedom.
Education International stands in solidarity with union leaders targeted in Belarus for their trade union activities and the anti-war stance taken by their organisation, the Belarusian Congress of Democratic Trade Unions (BKDP), following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
This year, the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded to a jailed human rights defender from Belarus, a country that has violated a number of core fundamental rights and freedoms for decades.