Authorities refuse to register primary units of independent trade unions

The leaders of the Independent Trade Union of Radio Electronic Industry stated that they would hold a series of protest actions on 3 April in different cities and towns of Belarus with the aim to draw public attention to non-registration of the primary units of trade unions by the authorities.

They have also already sued to the courts of Homel, Mahiliou and Vitsebsk, because the authorities of these cities refused to register the primary units of the trade union. One of the action organizers in Homel Viktar Kazlou is convinced in unlawfulness of the registration denial:

‘They said that there were no workers of enterprises of radio electronic industry in Homel city primary unit. We think that it is unacceptable argument, because in our charter it is stated that representatives of other branches of people’s economy also can be members of the trade union. It is the right of a worker to choose a trade union and join it.’

In Vitsebsk trade union activists were required to provide information about the places of their work. A trade union activist Heorhi Razumau commented: ‘They ask for information about members of the primary organization with indication of the places of work. But what for? In order to phone and twist their arm? We have already had such experience.’

The leader of the trade union of radio electronic industry in Mahiliou Halina Lisitsyna says that is already the eighth registration refusal in the recent years. Such events become any statements about liberalization in the country senseless, stated a co-chairman of the trade union Alexander Bukhvostau.

‘There is no liberalization. People are dismissed for attempts to protect their labor rights. Those who try to protest are immediately fired. It used to be so and it still goes on this way. There will be no democratization as long as Lukashenka is at power.’