Trade Unions banned and union leaders jailed in Belarus.

 

Alexander Lukashenko - Dictator of Belarus

The Communist Party of Belarus (CPB), part of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU), claims to rule the Belarusian Soviet Socialist Republic in the name of the proletariat - the working class. Yet many union leaders have been arrested and imprisoned and democratic unions under the dictatorship of Alexander Lukashenko, the first and only President of Belarus, have been liquidated and banned. Under this odious regime, jailed trade unionists are denounced as extremists and terrorists. As trade unionists, we must stand by our fellow workers in Belarus and oppose the vile dictatorship of Lukashenko and the repression of workers 'rights and the jailing of trade unionists. As Karl Marx said in the Communist Manifesto, "Workers of the World Unite!" Please read and circulate this appeal from Labourstart.

 

"Trade union activity is not extremism.

One year ago, on 19 April 2022 dozens of union leaders and activists of the Belarusian Congress of Democratic Trade Unions were arrested.

The reason for the arrests was the public anti-war trade union position and criticism of the Belarusian authorities for violations of fundamental human rights.

More than 30 trade unionists were sentenced to up to 9 years on trumped-up charges.

All democratic trade unions were liquidated and trade union activity was banned.

Union activists and workers seen participating in the 2020 protests were dismissed.

Fired workers cannot find jobs, and their families are left without a livelihood.

Jailed union leaders are listed en masse as extremists and terrorists.

This is unacceptable.  It must stop.

Unions have the full right to operate freely and to defend the rights and interests of their members.

Please take a moment to add your name to the global protest demanding that the government of Belarus release the trade union and political prisoners, end repression of trade union activists, and restore of guarantees of legal activities of independent trade unions."

 

Click here:

 

http://labourstart.org/go/belarus23

 

Thank you -- and please spread the word!