In het kader van de viering van de internationale dag voor Decent Work heeft de BKDP op 7 oktober in het centrum van Minsk gedemonstreerd. De officiele vakbonden waren niet aanwezig. De politie bekeek de demonstratie van een afstandje. De vakbond Belarusian Radio and Electronic Workers Union (REWU) kreeg geen toestemming om mee te demonstreren.

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A resolution was adopted at the meeting. Among the main issues of the resolution is cancellation of the Decree № 29. It was the decree which introduced contractual employment system in Belarus 10 years ago. As a result of that, hundreds of people lost job because of their political views and on other reasons, but not because of violation of labour discipline.

In the statement of the Belarusian Democratic Trade Unions Congress, disseminated on the day before the meeting, it was noted that most enterprises of Belarus work part-time working week. “Workers are forced to take leaves without payment. Salaries in Belarus are tree-four times lower than in the Baltic states, and 1.5 times lower than in Russia. Social protection of workers who were injured or developed work-related diseases, is not guaranteed. Unemployment payment is less than $20. Prices for food products, municipal facilities, medical services and education are constantly growing,” the statement reads.

Besides, the Belarusian Democratic Trade Unions Congress attracts attention to the fact that Belarusian citizens “cannot freely create trade unions t defend and represent their legal rights and interests”. Despite of the recommendations of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), and cancellation of trade preferences to the country by the EU, violations of the rights of independent trade unions and workers continue, the document stressed.

The World Day for Decent Work is celebrated on October 7 on the initiative of the International Trade Union Confederation, an influential trade union association, which consists of 170 mln workers from 312 trade union centres in 150 countries. The Belarusian Democratic Trade Unions Congress is a member of the International Trade Union Confederation since 2003.