The Belarusian Independent Trade Union (known as BNP) has become a member of the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF). The BNP has noted that the membership in the ITWF will allow receiving, first of all, all the necessary information about international labour standards in the transport sector and to struggle for observance of these standards in relation to Belarusian transport workers.

"The decision to join the ITF was made within the strategy of the branch-oriented principle of the trade union development, which was offered to us by Mr Mrost, head of the Moscow-based office of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC)," Vasily Korobov, Chairman of the BNP, told the website www.praca-by.info. "Firstly, transport workers can now de jure be members of our trade union, since our charter admits it. Secondly, they are de facto members of our organization.

Speaking about the advantages of membership in the ITUC, Mr Korobov has noted that his organization, first of all, has acquired a platform for consultations.

"Now, we have an opportunity to possess complete information about international labour standards in this sector," the trade union leader has explained. Our trade union also has workers of transport shops of chemical enterprises as its members, and drivers engaged in international transportation. Today we have more opportunities to know what the rights of these workers are, and, accordingly, to work towards observance thereof.

In the opinion of Sergey Antusevich, chairman of the primary union organization at the Closed Joint-Stock Company (CJSC) "Grodno-Azot" and secretary-treasurer of the BNP, the information about acceptance to the ITF is just in time.

"Recently our employer has stated that the first subdivision of the 'Grodno-Azot' to be sent to self-employment will be the transport shop. Certainly, we want its workers, who will leave the Company, to remain members of our trade union. Being a member of the ITF, our trade union will be able to render better support to the workers of transport sector," Mr Antusevich said.

The application of the BNP for membership in the ITF was under consideration for almost a year. It became known in mid-May 2010 that the application of the trade union was satisfied.

Information:

The International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) is an international trade union federation of transport workers' unions. Any independent trade union with members in the transport industry is eligible for membership of the ITF.

751 unions representing over 4,600,000 transport workers in 154 countries are members of the ITF. It is one of several Global Federation Unions allied with the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC).

The aims of the ITF are set out in its Constitution (see below). They are:

• to promote respect for trade union and human rights worldwide
• to work for peace based on social justice and economic progress
• to help its affiliated unions defend the interests of their members
• to provide research and information services to its affiliates
• to provide general assistance to transport workers in difficulty

The ITF represents the interests of transport workers' unions in bodies which take decisions affecting jobs, employment conditions or safety in the transport industry, such as the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) and the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).

The ITF organises international solidarity when transport unions in one country are in conflict with employers or government and need direct help from unions in other countries.