During the 23rd Federal Congress of the German Trade Union Confederation (DGB) in Berlin, Aliaksandr Yarashuk, Chair of the Belarusian Congress of Democratic Trade Unions, and Lizaveta Merliak, Executive Director of Salidarnast e.V., met with representatives of the Iranian Labour Confederation - Abroad (ILC).

The problems of protecting the rights of civil society in the digital age were discussed in Vienna at a conference attended by more than 350 participants, including representatives of governments and international organisations.

From 10 to 13 May, Berlin is hosting the 23rd Ordinary Federal Congress of the German Trade Union Confederation (DGB) under the slogan “Together we are stronger: good jobs, a strong economy, social protection.” Among the invited guests are Aliaksandr Yarashuk, Chair of the Belarusian Congress of Democratic Trade Unions (BKDP), and Lizaveta Merliak, Executive Director of Salidarnast e.V.

Gazetaby concludes its series of publications (please find parts one and two here) devoted to a study that became a response to an article published by one of the state-run media outlets under the rather pompous title “Belarusian Healthcare System Secures Its Human Resources, Strengthens Its Infrastructural and Technological Foundation, Expands Exports, and Goes Digital.”

On 1 May, representatives of the Belarusian trade union movement united within BKDP took part in the rally marking the International Workers’ Day of Solidarity, held in Bremen and organised by DGB Bremen.

On 27 April 2026, Ales Bialiatski, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and head of the Viasna Human Rights Centre, met with Inga Ruginienė, Prime Minister of Lithuania. During the meeting, the two sides discussed a broad range of issues related to human rights, political persecution and support for Belarusian civil society.

On March 21, during a visit to Vienna, Aliaksandr Yarashuk, President of the Belarusian Congress of Democratic Trade Unions (BKDP), met with Korinna Schumann, Austria’s Minister of Labour.

On April 19, 2022, many Belarusian independent unions’ leaders and activists were arrested. The date became a milestone in the history of the massive repressions in the country. We share with you why the regime fears union activists more than it may seem.

It has become known that yet another member of the independent trade union movement in Belarus has fallen victim to political persecution. Viktar Haŭrylavec, a member of the Belarusian Free Trade Union, was convicted under the charge of so-called “facilitating extremist activity”.

On 20 April, the fourth anniversary of his arrest, Aliaksandr Yarashuk, leader of the Belarusian Congress of Democratic Trade Unions (BKDP), took part in a meeting of the Executive Board of the Austrian Trade Union Federation (ÖGB). During his visit to Austria, he thanked Austrian trade unionists for their support and stressed that international solidarity had been one of the factors that contributed to his release.