We are publishing an article by Frank Hoffer, an associate fellow of the Global Labour University, in which he reasons on the potential and possible actions of the organised labour movement in present-day events in Belarus.

The Director-General of the International Labour Organisation, Guy Ryder, has called on the President of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, to prevent human rights violations and “ensure full respect for workers’ rights and freedoms" during the wave of protests that have swept the country in recent weeks.

On 24 August 2020 the Executive Committee of the Confederation of Labor of Russia made a statement of on the situation in the Republic of Belarus.

After the intervention of the International Labor Organization, the International Confederation of Trade Unions, appeals from trade unions from all over the world, including the Confederation of Labor of Russia, Nikolai Zimin was released from arrest.

On Saturday, 15 August, details of the detention of Nikolai Zimin became known. He is the former chairman of the Belarusian Independent Trade Union (BITU). Nikolai was detained in the remand center of the city of Lyuban, Minsk region. It is reported that Zimin was severely beaten. He can not get around practically. There was not provided with medical assistance for him. In addition, the former head of the BITU has a number of diseases and needs to take medications.

The Russian Air Traffic Controllers' Trade Union said in a statement that "the sentence should be thrown out and our comrades acquitted and released. That's what truth and justice requires." Earlier in an open letter to the transport ministry, the trade union said the air traffic controllers were simply "in the wrong place at the wrong time."

We are publishing an article by Oleg Shein MP, Vice-President of the Confederation of Labour of Russia (KTR), in which he presents an analysis of the situation in Russia’s social-labor sphere in pandemic conditions and coronavirus (COVID-19) infection.

At Volkswagen’s plant in Kaluga, Russia, workers who voluntarily resign are offered five to six months wages. The Interregional Trade Union “Workers Association” (ITUWA), affiliated with the Confederation of Labour of Russia (KTR) and the IndustriALL Global Union, is advising members to wait until an official process to reduce jobs is in place, as it would be more beneficial for the workers.

In Russia on the background of the pandemic coronavirus from the beginning of April 2020 soared, the number of unemployed. The country was actually unemployed every tenth able-bodied citizen, writes “Interfax” with reference to the President of the Confederation of labour of Russia Boris Kravchenko.

The Government wants to emergency right until the end of 2020 to determine the “specifics” of regulation of relations between workers and employers, without changes to the Labour code. Why do it – is unknown.