During a year union activists was 20 times rejected employment 25.02.2013 For a year already, Alexei Pavlovsky, an activist of the REP Trade Union and a 5th-category bricklayer, cannot find a job. There are plenty of vacancies, but employers keep refusing – in violation of all the law – to hire the highly skilled worker. The trade union is sure that the reason is in active civil stand of the worker.more >>

"Granit" administration continues intimidating workers 30.01.2013 Two drivers from the Mikashevichi-based "Granit" Factory were fined by 700,000 roubles each just for their failure to appear at the sitting of the factory commission. The administration ignored the fact that both drivers had their night shifts, and they rightly refused to attend the sitting on their legitimate day-off.more >>

Independent trade union is ready for mass protest action 29.01.2013 The delegates of the extraordinary congress of the Belarusian Independent Trade Union (known as the BNP) have summed up the work of the union for the last two years and formulated the first-order tasks for the future. The main debate flared up around the branch tariff agreement, in particular, on the methods to be used in the fight for the right to be a party thereto. The union activists were deciding whether to continue the correspondence with the bureaucrats or to go out to mass protest actions.more >>

BNP intends to start bargaining on separate collective agreement at "Belshina" 24.01.2013 The primary organization of the Belarusian Independent Trade Union (BNP) at the Open Joint-Stock Company (OJSC) "Belshina" in the city of Bobruisk is preparing for the procedure of signing a separate collective agreement with the employer.more >>

Irina Zyl: "Women from NPG are inspirers of ideas and driving force of the union!" 22.01.2013 "Only under the gender equality we can build a truly harmonious society, which respects not only the interests of the male population of the country, but also of elderly people, children, women and invalids," Irina Zyl, the leader of the Women's Network of Independent Trade Union of Miners (NPG), believes.more >>

Will independent trade unions repeat the success of Polish "Solidarity"? 15.01.2013 The Independent Institute of Socio-Economic and Political Studies (known as NISEPI), which is registered in Vilnius, has published the results of the latest – held in December – nationwide public opinion poll.more >>

Year of protests at "Granit": workers should not be treated as slaves 14.01.2013 Looking back at the struggle of workers of the rock-extracting enterprise "Granit" in the town of Mikashevichi, Oleg Stakhaevich, the chairman of the independent trade union of the enterprise, has concluded that the protest was mostly successful.more >>

Director of Gomel-based "Vipra" Company refuses to recognize his employee`s membership in independent trade union 11.01.2013 Igor Schegelsky, Director of the Private Unitary Enterprise (PUE) "Vipra", has refused to discuss the conditions of the transfer of the toolmaker Anatoly Poplavny to the contract form of employment in the presence of an official of the REP Trade Union, where the worker is a member. The Director has stated that there is a trade union at the enterprise; and only that trade union is authorized to represent workers' interests.more >>

Will President`s Administration help independent trade union with social partnership? 10.01.2013 The leaders of the Belarusian Independent Trade Union (BNP) appealed to the Administration of the President of Belarus asking to help to bring back to the BNP the powers in bargaining on the tariff agreement. The administration officials have promised to investigate the matter.more >>

Gennady Fedynich: "Belarusian workers have the right to work – they are not slaves or serfs" 18.12.2012 President Lukashenko said, when visiting the Open Joint-Stock Company (OJSC) "Mogilevdrev", that workers have no right to resign without the permit of their bosses; and "those who leave would be brought back for forced labour." Gennady Fedynich, Chairman of the REP Trade Union, believes that "making such a statement, the president has trampled on human rights."more >>