Belarus: UN experts alarmed by persisting violations of trade unionists’ rights

GENEVA – A group of UN independent experts* today expressed concern about persisting violations of freedom of association in labour relations in Belarus, calling on the Government to fully cooperate with the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, UN human rights mechanisms, the International Labour Organization (ILO) and its supervisory bodies to ensure respect for the human rights of leaders and members of independent trade unions.

“Belarus must end the repression of independent trade unionists, who are also recognised as human rights defenders,” the experts said. “The country must immediately release all trade union leaders and members imprisoned for exercising their right to freedom of expression, assembly and association, and revoke legislation and other measures that prevent independent trade unions from operating,” the experts said.

The experts expressed concern that independent trade unions have been liquidated and designated as “extremist organisations”; their leaders and members have been prosecuted under extremist and national security-related charges, imprisoned or forced into exile; their assets have been confiscated; and those in exile have been facing criminal prosecution in absentia.

Within the ILO, violations of the freedom of association of trade unions in Belarus have been under increased scrutiny since 2004, when a Commission of Inquiry established by the ILO Governing Body presented its conclusions on the breaches by Belarus of the Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention, 1948 (No. 87) and the Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention, 1949 (No. 98).

The experts noted that a massive crack-down on independent trade unions in 2020 triggered additional measures, including the implementation by the International Labour Conference of an oversight mechanism under article 33 of the ILO Constitution (failure to carry out recommendations of a Commission of Inquiry) – a second such precedent in ILO’s more than one-hundred-year history.

They urged Belarus to engage with the ILO to implement recommendations of the ILO’s Commission of Inquiry and supervisory bodies, including to urgently accept an international humanitarian mission to ensure that independent doctors can visit all imprisoned trade unionists to assess their health and offer medical assistance, as necessary; and to receive an ILO tripartite mission that would visit independent trade union leaders, activists and human rights defenders in prison or detention.

“Freedom of association in labour relations is currently absent in Belarus,” the experts said. “Workers do not have the right to choose whether to join or establish trade unions. Nor are they properly represented in collective bargaining agreements.”

They recalled the 2024 report to the Human Rights Council of the former Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Belarus, pointing to the lack of independence of the only remaining national trade union organisation in the country, the Federation of Trade Unions of Belarus.

The experts have been in contact with the Government on these matters and have expressed concern about restrictions on civic space and fundamental freedoms, including a permanent climate of fear and repression of dissent.