27.07.2010 SPB activists suspected of transporting anti-state literature
Valentin Lazarenkov, chairman of the Brest regional organization of the Free Trade Union of Belarus (SPB), and Victor Chaikovskiy, an SPB activist, were detained by militiamen on suspicion of transporting anti-state literature.more >>

23.07.2010 Activists of "Studentskaya Rada" draft recommendations for higher school administrations
Activists of the trade-union group of the Independent Radio and Electronic Workers' Union (REP) have decided not to stop on their achievements. After holding the rating named "Most Student-Friendly Higher School of Minsk-2010" and announcement of the winner, they started drafting recommendations for administrations of local higher educational establishments. Students hope to draw the officials' attention to solution of their problems.more >>

22.07.2010 Vasily Korobov: "Money for the state is the aim of privatizing of "Belaruskali". The enterprise doesn't need it"
After the Government announced its plans to privatize the "Belaruskali", a question arose: Who will become a co-owner of one of the largest enterprises of Belarus, and how can it tell on its workers? Vasily Korobov, Chairman of the Belarusian Independent Trade Union (BNP), told in his interview to the website praca-by.info about what investor would be better for the enterprise and whether its workers have any chances to influence the terms of privatization.more >>

20.07.2010 Belarusian Editors and BAJ Leader Expressed Their Support to Salidarnasc Independent Online Publication
19 July editors of leading independent media of Belarus made a joint statement to support of Salidarnasc (www.gazetaby.com) independent online publication. It was caused by pressure the website faces from trade union officials.more >>

15.07.2010 Court supports city authorities in dispute with independent trade union
On July 12, the Gomel Tsentralny District Court considered the complaint lodged by the Belarusian Radio and Electronic Workers' Union (REP) against city authorities in respect of refusal to sanction pickets on the International Children's Day – June 1. Despite complete absence of grounds as presented by the respondent, the court supported just the latter.more >>

14.07.2010 Vasily Levchenkov: practice convinces – we need strike fund
Workers of the turning shop of the Unitary Enterprise (UE) "Lyoss" (in the town of Baran) failed to enforce their demands on salary increase. Despite the July promises to increase the rates, the employer continues paying under the old ones. The Free Trade Union of Metalworkers (SPM), according to its leader Vasily Levchenkov, has drawn lessons from the failed workers' protest action of workers: to efficiently struggle the trade union needs its strike fund.more >>

08.07.2010 Ideologist decides to force Free Trade Union out of office
Pyotr Slobodchuk, deputy director for ideological work at the Bobruisk Factory of Tractor Parts and Aggregates, wants to move the primary organization of the Free Trade Union of Belarus (SPB) from its office into some remote shed. It is impossible on the legal grounds, since the union has its valid rental contract; therefore, the ideologist decided to solve the problem by force.more >>

06.07.2010 Independent trade union "forgotten" in draft collective agreement of the OJSC "Naftan"
The primary organization of the Belarusian Independent Trade Union (BNP) of the workers of the Open Joint-Stock Company (OJSC) "Naftan" has addressed the employer with a request to start bilateral bargaining towards signing a collective agreement. The reason is that the tripartite agreement between the employer, BNP and the official (state-supported) trade union "Belkhimprofsoyuz" fails to consider the independent trade union as a social partner.more >>

30.06.2010 Nikolai Novik: «Today we're 100 percent against such privatization»
The authorities are engaged in converting the flagship of Belarusian economy – the Republic's Unitary Enterprise Production Association (RUE PA) "Belaruskali" – into a joint-stock company. The further step will probably be in its privatization. Nikolai Novik, vice-chairman of the BNP (Belarusian Independent Trade Union), who has been leading the Independent Trade Union of Miners (NPG) at the "Belaruskali" for 16 years already, explained why the trade unions should be 100 percent against privatization on the conditions offered today by the state, what part of the enterprise belongs to the workers and what should be done to restore the historical justice.more >>

30.06.2010 BNP activists are ready to file hundred suits against "Delta Style"
The managers of the sewing enterprise – Joint Limited Liability Company (JLLC) "Delta Style" – continue breaching the rights of members of the primary organization of the Belarusian Independent Trade Union (BNP) by refusing to make non-cash transfers of membership fees. Formally, the employer obeyed to the court ruling and transferred the fees, but only of the three members of the trade union, who had addressed the court; while the applications of other 98 members were ignored.more >>

29.06.2010 Lukashenko addresses REP Trade Union
A namesake of the incumbent President has complained to the legal service of the Gomel representative office of the Belarusian Radio and Electronic Workers' Union (REP) against arbitrariness of local bureaucrats who want to demolish his shed.more >>

24.06.2010 FPB will not only support Lukashenko at election, but will sign-in for his nomination
The Federation of Trade Unions of Belarus (known as "FPB") will not only support Alexander Lukashenko as a nominee for President of Belarus, but is also ready to bag subscriptions for nomination of the incumbent head of the state as a candidate for presidency at the forthcoming election. This was stated on June 23 by Chairman of the FPB Leonid Kozik, who addressed the participants of the reporting-election conference of the Gomel Regional Trade Union Association. more >>

21.06.2010 Category 1 tariff rate has almost caught up with the level of 2008
At first President Lukashenko promised that Belarusians will have their average salary of 700 US dollars by the end of 2010, then – 500 dollars, now – about 500. It looks like the last promise will nevertheless be fulfilled. Starting June 1, the government has increased the Category 1 tariff rate for the workers employed in the budget-financed (state) sphere: it couldn't be otherwise – this year is the pre-election one.more >>

21.06.2010 Strike at "Lyos" suspended
On the third day of the strike the workers of the turning shop of the Unitary Enterprise (UE) "Lyos" (located in the town of Baran) resumed their work. A representative of the administration promised that in July their demand to increase the rates may be (!) satisfied.more >>

17.06.2010 First issue of SPM's bulletin "Worker's Word" appears
The Free Trade Union of Metalworkers (known under the Russian abbreviation of "SPM") has started publishing its bulletin entitled as the "Worker's Word".more >>

17.06.2010 Students want to create their independent trade union
The youth trade-union group "Studentskaya Rada" (Students' Board) has moved an initiative to create an independent students' union. Among its priority activities will be addressing the problem of compulsory distribution of graduates; informing young people about training terms at various higher schools, and defence of rights and interests of pupils and students.more >>

15.06.2010 NPG stands for labour collective
Preparation is in full swing to corporization and possible privatization of the flagship of Belarusian national economy – the Republic's Unitary Enterprise (RUE) "Belaruskali" Production Association (PA). Last week the parliament excluded the Association from the list of enterprises owned exclusively by the state. The Independent Trade Union of Miners (NPG) has addressed the employer with an offer to take into account the interests of the workers of the enterprise at corporization.more >>

15.06.2010 REP Trade Union activists to go to court for their right to freedom of self-expression
Activists of the Gomel regional representative office of the Belarusian Radio and Electronic Workers' Union (REP) lodged complaints to the Tsentralny District Court of Gomel against local authorities' ban of their intended pickets on the International Children's Day – June 1.more >>

14.06.2010 REP Trade Union: "FOR contract-free Belarus"
The Belarusian Radio and Electronic Workers' Union (REP) is launching a campaign "FOR contract-free Belarus." The union leaders are sure that the problem of mass application of fixed-term contracts should be resolved before the country launches the process of systemic privatization. Otherwise, new owners will use the system to get rid – quickly and legally – of unwanted workers.more >>

11.06.2010 Alexander Yaroshuk: "All this year, the social dialogue went uninterrupted at all levels, and independent trade unions could take part in it"
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.more >>

11.06.2010 Prosecutor's Office finds no violation of workers' rights in threats and blackmail
The leaders of the primary organization of the Belarusian Independent Trade Union (BNP) of the workers of the Open Joint-Stock Company (OJSC) "Grodno-Azot" had vainly believed that the officials guilty of violating union members' rights would be duly punished. The Grodno Regional Prosecutor's Office upheld the decision of its district counterpart and found nothing illegitimate in actions of the shops bosses who had threatened to dismiss union activists and deprive them of bonuses.more >>

10.06.2010 Director agrees that his enterprise will not benefit from dismissal of union leader
Hardly had the primary organization of the Belarusian Independent Trade Union (BNP) of the workers of the Open Joint-Stock Company (OJSC) "Belshina" expressed its readiness to enter collective bargaining, the employer warned Mikhail Ustinovich, chairman of the primary organization, about his dismissal. According to the union leader, he managed to convince his director that the decision was wrong.more >>

07.06.2010 Belarusian authorities continue breaking union rights
This week the delegates of the International Labour Conference will analyze the situation with observance of trade union rights in our country. Their opinion will affect in particular the European Union's decision to return trade preferences to Belarus. However, the independent trade unions state absence of any progress in eliminating violations of Belarusian workers' rights. It is confirmed by the facts sent to the International Labour Organization.more >>

03.06.2010 "People took leaflets with great interest" (photo)
Activists of the Belarusian Radio and Electronic Workers' Union (REP) called citizens of Belarus to make use of the right of legislative initiative with the aim to return the privileges to children under three years of age, pupils and students, which were cancelled by the President of Belarus in 2007. On June 1 – the International Children's Day – activists of the REP Trade Union all over the country were disseminating leaflets "Let us together return privileges to our children".more >>

02.06.2010 Militia detains three REP Trade Union activists for disseminating leaflets
On June 1, the International Children's Day, activists of the Belarusian Radio and Electronic Workers' Union (REP) were disseminating leaflets all over the country with a demand to return privileges to children, pupils and students, taken away by President in 2007. In Minsk, three activists were detained by special militia agents in the Gorky Park. They were brought to the Partizanskiy ROVD (District Interior Division) for examination, where they were forced to get photographed and give their fingerprints.more >>

01.06.2010 Contract not prolonged with REP Trade Union activist
The administration of the Open Joint-Stock Company (OJSC) "Belaruskabel" has notified Vladimir Telepun, an activist of the Belarusian Radio and Electronic Workers' Union (REP) and the head of the Technical Division of the enterprise, that his employment (labour) contract will not be extended. The Trade Union is sure that dismissal of the highly-skilled worker is caused by his trade-union activities.more >>

01.06.2010 REP Trade Union informs ILO about searches and detentions of activists
The Belarusian Radio and Electronic Workers' Union (REP) has informed the Committee for Freedom of Association of the International Labour Organization (ILO) about prejudiced and illegal detentions and searches in union activists' apartments, and about the search and confiscation of the equipment from the office of the Brest representative office of the Trade Union.more >>

29.05.2010 Nikolai Pokhabov: on the brink of an accident
On his way back from a business trip to the city of Kletsk, Nikolai Pokhabov, head of the Minsk Regional Branch of the REP Trade Union, found that all four fixing bolts in a wheel of his car were unscrewed. The union activist does not exclude that it could be done deliberately.more >>

28.05.2010 Administration of Bobruisk Factory of Tractor Parts and Units sacks trade-union activist
The system of fixed-term contracts has once again helped the employer to get rid of an active worker. Leonid Gaishun, a highly skilled worker of the Bobruisk Factory of Tractor Parts and Units and a member of the Free Trade Union Belarusian (known as SPB), was dismissed after expiry of his fixed-term labour contract. By doing so, the factory administration has broken the collective agreement in force at the enterprise.more >>

28.05.2010 "Zavodskaya Pravda" back instead of "Zavodskaya Prokhodnaya"?
The office equipment, information carriers, latest issues of trade-union bulletins and the seal of the primary union organization of the "Tsvetotron" Factory, confiscated on May 18 during a search at the office of the Brest regional representative office of the REP Trade Union, are still kept by the militia. The Trade Union regards it as a roughest interference into internal matters of the organization and plans to inform the International Labour Organization (ILO) about the incident in the near future.more >>

27.05.2010 Authorities ban pickets in defence of children
Belarusian authorities have forbidden activists of the Belarusian Radio and Electronic Workers' Union (REP) to hold pickets on the International Children's Day. In spite of it, on June 1 union activists plan to express their protest against cancellation of privileges for pupils and students and children under 3 and call the public to struggle for the return of the privileges.more >>

26.05.2010 BNP admitted as a member of the ITF
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.more >>

25.05.2010 REP submits 30 picket applications for June 1
Activists of the Belarusian Radio and Electronic Workers' Union (REP) have submitted in total 30 applications to local authorities of the city of Minsk and the regions of the republic asking to sanction pickets dated to the International Children's Day. During their actions trade-union activists are going to demand return of privileges that had existed for young people and children less than 3 years of age.more >>