Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 1993, published 80th ILC session (1993)

Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention, 1948 (No. 87) - Belarus (Ratification: 1956)

The Committee notes with interest that Belarus has adopted an Act on trade unions of 22 April 1992 whose provisions would appear to be in conformity with the Convention. It notes however that section 18(2) of this Act prohibits trade unions from conducting strike action in support of political demands. The Committee would recall that while it considers that strikes that are purely political in character do not fall within the scope of the principles of freedom of association, trade unions nevertheless ought to have the possibility of recourse to protest strikes, in particular where aimed at criticizing a government's economic and social policies (General Survey on Freedom of Association and Collective Bargaining, 1983, paragraph 216).