On June 9, at the Annual Labour Conference in Geneva, the Committee on Norms and Standards of the International Labour Organization (ILO) diagnosed continued violations of trade union rights in Belarus.

As reported by the www.bkdp.org, the Committee called the government of Belarus to "strain efforts" towards ensuring complete freedom of workers' associations. Besides, the Committee "hopes to state next year an essential progress in this area."

"It's an optimum decision for us. The government has received its homework; and the ILO keeps the situation under control," Alexander Yaroshuk, chairman of the BKDP (Belarusian Congress of Democratic Trade Unions), said in his comment on the Committee's decision.

The BKDP leader said in his presentation at the session of the Committee: "The statistics of violations of independent trade unions' rights is depressing. Our organizations are deprived of any privileges in rental fees for their offices; legislative acts on further restriction of their rights have been passed; everywhere we fix facts of trade-union discrimination. The members of independent trade unions-members of the organization I head – the BKDP, – are under permanent pressure and persecution, including dismissal from work after termination of their fixed-term contracts…

"The violations of unions' rights reflect, just like 4-5 years ago, practically the whole geography of my country; and it gives rise to a conclusion about the purposeful character of the campaign against independent trade unions, and evidences that the Belarusian government is not ready to follow the ILO's guidelines…

"However, at the background of all the negative facts disclosed, I should call the Committee not to pass a verdict today to the Belarus government. Firstly, for a long time the position of the Minister of Labour and Social Protection was vacant; and it couldn't but affect the situation with ILO's guidelines. Secondly, the social dialogue went interrupted at all levels all this year round; and independent trade unions could take part in it. Thirdly, the prudent last year's optimism appeared not in an empty place. It was a result of joint efforts of all the stakeholders.

"Therefore, the following solution looks optimal: along with a principled assessment of the government's actions, to demonstrate flexibility and patience, and start searching new points for applying efforts of all the parties towards stimulating the government to unconditionally follow the guidelines. Here, I see a chance to translate – at last – the process into the long-awaited progress."