Trade union challenges ban on May Day rally

May 11, Belarusian Trade Union of Radio Electronic Industry (TUREI) filed an appeal against the ban of the Minsk City Executive Committee on holding a May Day rally to the Maskoŭski District Court of Minsk.

The trade union intended to hold the rally, dedicated to the protection of social and labor rights of workers on May 1 in Družby Narodaŭ Park.

Meeting dedicated to the support of trade unions and the protection of social and labor rights and economic interests of workers scheduled for May 1 at the Park of Friendship of Peoples. The authorities refused to authorize events and stated that mass celebrations, a concert and sporting events would take place in park at that time. TUREI didn't agree with the decision of the Minsk City Executive Committee and appealed to court, asking it to abolish the ban.

“By its ban the Minsk CEC violated the Constitution, the law on trade unions, the charter of the TUREI and its own ruling of June 2, 2011, which designates the permanent sites for mass events: the central stage area of Družby Narodaŭ Park; the summer theater of the recreation park 50 hoddzia Vialikaha Kastsyčnika; the site near the fountain, located in Kyiv public garden. However, since 2011 the trade union and citizens have been refused in holding mass events, which is a violation of the constitutional rights. We are not going to tolerate the flagrant violation of our rights,” said TUREI chairman Henadz Fiadynich in an interview to praca-by.info.

Since 2011, the Minsk City Executive Committee has groundlessly prohibited TUREI and his members to hold any mass events.