The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News on the topic: trade unions

12.01.2009 'Naftan': Belarusian authorities continue violating rights of independent trade unions

After Polimir Company joined Naftan oil refinery, the Independent Trade Union applied for re-registration.

09.12.2008 Brest: detentions on the eve of the 60th anniversary of Universal Declaration of Human Rights

On 9 December at a mini-market in Brest the police detained Valiantsin Lazarenka and Zinaida Mikhniuk, activists of the local independent trade unions. They handed out invitations to the authorized meeting scheduled for 10 December.

14.10.2008 No registration for independent trade union

On 13 October Rechytsa district court rejected the suit of the independent Belarusian trade union of radio-electronic industry (BTUREI) against the refusal of Rechytsa district executive committee to give state registration to a district primary unit of the trade union.

01.08.2008 Trade union leaders are interrogated in the case of 4 July blast

Siarhei Antusevich, representative of the primary organization of the Belarusian Independent Trade Union (BITU) at Hrodna-Azot open company, and Anatol Khotska, BITU representative in Hrodna oblast, were interrogated by Hrodna oblast KGB department. The trade union activists were asked to explain where they were in the night of 3-4 July. The KGB officers also proposed that the activists gave their fingerprints and asked whether they knew how to make bombs.

04.07.2008 Trade union activists against Hrodna police

The administration of the Belarusian trade union or radio electronic industry demands that Leninski district procuracy of Hrodna take the necessary measures in connection with the illegal confiscation of copies of the Haradzenskaya Salidarnasts newspaper from the member of the trade union Uladzimir Tabola.

13.06.2008 New cases of labor discrimination

Leanid Autukukhou, opposition activist from the town of Haradok, was not rehabilitated at job by court. He sued against his dismissal because of the expiry of the working contract, but he was not supported by the judge, the prosecutor or the official trade union.

14.05.2008 Disabled pensioner ‘congratulated’ on Victory Day

On the eve of 9 May, the Victory Day, the resident of Homel Andrei Hramyka received a peculiar ‘congratulation’. He is disabled since childhood as a result of a wound connected with the consequences of World War II. The court fined him 140 000 rubles (about 68 US dollars) in absentia for alleged insult of the neighbors who were smoking on the stair platform.

02.05.2008 1 May action brings detentions and arrests

About 30 activists of the civil campaign European Belarus were detained yesterday near the National Library in Minsk suburb Uruccha where pro-regime trade unions were celebrating May Day. Among the detained are Yauhen Afnahel, Andrei Babitski, Zmitser Barodka, the Young Front leaders Zmitser Dashkevich, Artur Finkevich, Zmitser Khvedaruk, and chairman of the Belarusian Social Democratic Party (Narodnaya Hramada) Mikola Statkevich.

08.04.2008 KGB threatens to trade union activists

KGB tries to recruit informers among activists of independent trade unions. The last case was registered in Homel, where an unidentified man who introduced himself as the head of the department of Homel KGB office for protection of the political system met with the juridical inspector of the Belarusain trade union of radio electronic industry Leanid Sudalenka.

13.03.2008 Democratic Trade Unions Demand to Punish Police for Porgrom at Their Office

The Belarusian Congress of Democratic Trade Unions applied to the minister of interior Uladzimir Navumau with the demand to consider the facts of law violations, committed by the police officers on 9 March in the office of the trade union center, give a principal evaluation to them and punish the guilty.

22.02.2008 Court Justifies Belarusian Congress of Democratic Trade Unions

On 21 February Leninski district court of Minsk dropped the administrative case that had been brought against the Belarusian Congress of Democratic Trade Unions (BCDTU) for alleged illegal purchase and use of polygraphic equipment. The BCDTU hopes that soon the law machinery will also return the confiscated risograph.

18.02.2008 Constituent Assembly of Donors’ Organization in Mahiliou

On 16 February the constituent assembly of the donor’s organization Kroplia Zhyttsia (Drop of Life) took place in Belarus. The ten founders of the organization adopted the association’s charter and decided to pass to Minsk city executive committee documents for its registration

13.02.2008 Rechytsa Authorities Refuse to Register Trade Union again

Rechytsa authorities again refused to register a primary unit of the Belarusian trade union of radio-electronic industry. The formal reason is that the landlord decided to revoke his letter of guarantee for giving a legal address to the organization.

09.02.2008 Independent Trade Union Helps Worker to Return His Money

The trade union of radio-electronic industry (REI) managed to get the court abolish a disciplinary punishment to its activist, driver of Brestenerhazberazhenne enterprise Mikhail Zychkou, and return to him the wage he had been deprived of as a result. It happened thanks to the insistence and professionalism of the trade-union’s specialists. They had not only to prove the unlawfulness of the administration’s actions, but also fight with the judicial illiteracy of the judge of Maskouski district court of Brest Mrs. Levanchuk.