Activists of Free and Independent Trade Unions of Polotsk region participated in the seminar of the International Labour Organization (ILO), 13 and 14 May in Minsk. ILO experts brought together activists of Democratic Trade Unions and the Trade Union of the FPB, as well as representatives of employers and government officials.

Violating international standards

Belarus has not complied with the basic international standards in the field of labor relations of employers and workers, so the country is in a certain isolation and not cooperating fully with the ILO.

The salary is determined based on the factories not only profitability, but also the size of the salary, legal certainty in the collective agreement, which is the employer and the trade union negotiations. The union collective bargaining in these workers is therefore a union - and a salary.

The fundamental question

The stumbling block was the question of the representativeness of trade unions, that is, of their right to participate in negotiations with the employer. FPB unions are more numerous, and therefore believe that only they have the right to bargain collectively with the employer on behalf of employees. However, the right to defend their economic interests in collective bargaining should be every business, so he has to work to determine which union will represent his economic and social interests in negotiations with the plant manager.

Official international position on Belarus

There are several official documents of the ILO, which makes it clear that as long as there is no guarantees which are recognized by the international community, on freedom of association in Belarus, questions about the representativeness of trade unions do not have to climb. As said at the seminar ILO specialist in labor law and social dialogue Angelika Muller, "any attempt to raise the issue of representativeness of a trade union, about numbers and so on will be taken by the supervisory bodies of the ILO as an attempt to suppress the independent trade union movement in Belarus. Once pronounced the word "representation" on the highest levels, the call is terminated. It should be taken as a given. At this stage, the question of the criteria for representativeness of trade unions shall not be raised."

Trade union "infighting"

FPB representatives tried to argue. Secretary of FTUB Anna Varfolomeeva stated that ILO information is outdated: "Maybe we will review once it has been for a long time - it's not fair to the workers of our country".

What said the deputy chairman of the Belarusian Free Trade Union, an employee of JSC "Polotsk-Fiberglass" Nikolai Sharah: "Information does not obsolete, the situation is in the same state - as it was, and is - and even deteriorating. There was a time when we at the "Glass fiber" has been growth of the Free Trade Union, the number doubles every year. Once the authorities saw that unions are growing, we created conditions that workers are forced to withdraw from the union - not because they do not trust the union, but because they are in such conditions. When conditions change, it will be possible to raise the question about the representativeness of trade unions."

Forced adoption of international standards

The participants worked together in groups and in the process forced dialogue were still able to work out and adopt as the basis of democratic principles of participation of trade unions in collective bargaining in the workplace. The process of implementation (implementation) of international standards in labor relations "worker-employer" took quite tough. In relations between the opponents feel a slight hostility and misunderstanding positions that were manifested in the words and gestures of the participants.

As a result, we came to an agreement on the principles of collective bargaining of the workers and the employer. Some of these principles:

- Workers will represent all plant labor unions, member of the commission on collective bargaining;

- All trade unions will sign a collective agreement and, therefore, will have the guarantee of activity at the enterprise;

- The position of the plant's workers will be determined by consensus of the representatives of all trade unions in the Commission (on the basis of consensus).

The contract on the basis of gentlemanly

Accepted principles of the negotiations at the seminar will be approved by the Council on improving the legislation under the Ministry of Labour, but will not be legally binding - a gentlemen's agreement for the implementation of international standards. As Deputy Minister of Labour Igor Starovoytov "at default accepted principles in the enterprises complain in Belarus will be nobody". Hence, only the desire of the government to get out of international isolation may encourage business leaders of Belarus to implement the standards of the International Labour Organization.

The seminar was attended by representatives of factories, where there are two trade union. The organizers selected five such companies. In addition to the deputy directors and chairmen of the ideology of democratic and pro-government trade union Polotsk region working at JSC "Polotsk-Fiberglass" and JSC "Naftan", attended by representatives of "Belaruskali", JSC "Mozyr Oil Refinery", JSC "Bobruisk plant of tractor parts and units" .

Vitebsk Spring