Human rights organisations and trade unions have highlighted a crisis in labour rights in Belarus.
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Joint Statement by Human Rights Organisations on the Systemic Crisis of Democracy and Human Rights in the Labour Sector in Belarus
Belarusian and international human rights organisations, independent trade unions, and civil society initiatives have issued a joint statement on the systemic crisis of human rights in the labour sector in Belarus.
The joint statement resulted from an international conference held in Berlin on 25 May. The authors of the document emphasise that this represents a comprehensive model of repression, in which the destruction of independent trade unions, politically motivated dismissals, forced labour, discrimination, and restrictions on access to professions have become part of state policy.
The statement notes that the situation has deteriorated sharply since 2020: independent trade unions have been dissolved, dozens of trade union leaders and activists have been imprisoned, and many of those already released continue to face restrictions due to criminal convictions, inclusion on lists of ‘extremists’ and ‘terrorists’, employment bans, and social isolation. Meanwhile, the Federation of Trade Unions of Belarus does not function as an independent representative body for workers but is integrated into the state administrative system.
The authors also draw attention to the widespread use of forced labour practices. These include labour by prisoners, people in medical-labour sanatoriums, compulsory community work days, the deployment of young professionals, restrictions on dismissal under the contract system, and other forms of involuntary labour. Political and gender discrimination are highlighted separately, as is the use of legislation on ‘extremism’ and ‘terrorism’ as an additional tool to restrict the right to work.
The signatories believe that without the restoration of freedom of association and independent trade unions, it is impossible to ensure decent work or to speak of sustainable development in Belarus.
They call on international organisations, states, and the business community to take more coordinated action: to seek the release of trade union activists and political prisoners, to take labour rights violations into account in sanctions and trade policy, to support independent trade union and human rights initiatives, and to ensure Belarus’s full cooperation with UN and ILO mechanisms.
The full text of the statement is published below.
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Joint Statement by Human Rights Organizations
to Address the Systemic Crisis of Democracy and Human Rights in the Labour Sector in Belarus
May 25, 2026
We, representatives of Belarusian and international human rights organizations and independent trade unions, declare that there is a profound and systemic human rights crisis in the labour sector in the Republic of Belarus. The current situation is complex in nature and affects fundamental labour rights guaranteed by international law, including freedom of association, the right to decent work, the prohibition of forced labour, and non-discrimination.
Since 2004, the Belarusian authorities have systematically ignored and failed to implement the recommendations of the International Labour Organization (ILO) Commission of Inquiry aimed at ensuring freedom of association, registration of independent trade unions, and removal of obstacles to their activities.
Following the presidential election on 9 August 2020 - the legitimacy of which, along with its official results, was called into question by a significant number of international and Belarusian organizations - and the subsequent mass peaceful protests, the situation regarding freedom of association in the labour sector in Belarus began to deteriorate steadily. In 2022, the Belarusian authorities forcibly dissolved all independent trade unions (SPM, SPB, BNP, REP), as well as their umbrella organisation, the Belarusian Congress of Democratic Trade Unions (BKDP). Their leaders and activists faced criminal prosecution, arrest and imprisonment, and were forced to leave the country. As a result, the activities of independent trade unions within Belarus were effectively halted, and workers’ ability to form and participate in independent trade unions, engage in collective representation, and defend their labour rights was significantly restricted. Under these circumstances, independent worker representation has become virtually impossible. These restrictions are systemic in nature, as they are supported by a combination of legislative mechanisms, law enforcement practices, and repressive policies targeting independent actors.
Against this backdrop, the Federation of Trade Unions of Belarus (FPB) functions de facto as part of the state governance system and does not provide genuine protection of workers’ rights and interests.
In 2023, an unprecedented measure was taken against Belarus under Article 33 of the Constitution of the International Labour Organization (ILO) – only the second such case in the history of the organization. The application of Article 33 of the ILO Constitution is a recognition by the international community of serious and systematic violations committed by the state and requires coordinated action by member states.
At present, more than 20 trade union leaders and activists are in prison, and over 50 have already served their sentences but remain non-exonerated. The restrictions imposed on the latter based on their criminal records and their inclusion on lists of ‘extremists’ and ‘terrorists’ are the continuation of repression against them. Although formally released from detention, they effectively continue to serve their sentences. A number of unlawfully convicted and imprisoned trade union activists, including Aliaksandr Yarashuk, Chairperson of the BKDP and member of the ILO Governing Body, and Hennadz Fiadynich, Chairperson of REP, were forcibly expelled from the country, had their passports confiscated, and were effectively deprived of social rights, including the right to a pension. Maksim Senik, a member of the Independent Trade Union ‘Hrodna Azot’, was also forcibly expelled, and his passport was annulled without legal grounds.
The widespread use of forced labour practices is a cause for particular concern. These include the use of labour from prisoners, individuals placed in medical labour centres, and people with disabilities who are permanently resident in social care homes (which is especially critical for those with neuropsychiatric conditions); the application of legislation on so-called ‘social dependency’; compulsory community work days (‘subbotniks’); the mandatory job placement of young professionals; a contract-based employment system that restricts the freedom to terminate employment relationships; and other forms of labour that do not comply with the principle of voluntariness. These practices contravene Belarus’s international obligations, including those under the International Labour Organisation.
We also observe systematic discrimination against workers on political grounds. Individuals who express dissent with government policy or participate in peaceful protests face dismissal, denial of employment, and inclusion on informal ‘blacklists’. The formal grounds for discriminating against such individuals are continually expanding, not only depriving them of their civil rights but also preventing them from fully participating in economic and social life: hiring rules, performance evaluation guidelines, and codes of ethics are being altered.. Since 2023, a ban has been enshrined in law on at least eight professions for people who have been held criminally and/or administratively liable under ‘political’ articles.
Gender discrimination also remains systemic. Women continue to face restrictions on access to certain types of employment due to the continued existence of a list of ‘prohibited professions’, gender quotas in the education system, and unequal treatment at work.
The overly broad application of legislation aimed at combating ‘extremism’ and ‘terrorism’ has become an additional instrument restricting the right to work. Inclusion of citizens in relevant lists effectively bars them from employment in certain sectors, imposes financial restrictions, and leads to social isolation, thereby violating the principles of proportionality and legal certainty.
As a result, social dialogue in Belarus has been replaced by a mere facade: independent workers’ representatives have been excluded from it, while the key role is played by the Federation of Trade Unions of Belarus (FPB), which is de facto integrated into the state system and lacks institutional independence. This model systematically perpetuates labour rights violations and precludes the possibility of their effective protection within the country.
Belarus consistently evades cooperation with international monitoring mechanisms. The authorities refuse to engage constructively with UN bodies, ignore the recommendations of the ILO, and do not recognize the mandate of the ILO Special Envoy to Belarus.
The undersigned Independent trade unions, human rights organizations, representatives of Belarusian civil society initiatives, and international human rights organizations declare their intention to establish and develop cooperation and to join forces with the aim of building a democratic society based on the principles of the rule of law, social justice, and decent work.
We express our strong support for the mandate of Mr Lelio Bentes Corrêa, the ILO Special Envoy to Belarus, and call for its further strengthening. In the absence of effective domestic mechanisms to protect labour rights, international attention and cooperation remain key instruments for supporting workers in Belarus.
In this regard, we call on the member states of the UN agencies, the ILO, other international organisations, and the business community to:
Step up cooperation in implementing Article 33 of the ILO Constitution with regard to Belarus.
Take concerted action to ensure that Belarus fulfills its international obligations in labour relations.
Seek full recognition by the Government of Belarus of the mandate of all UN human rights mechanisms, including the Special Rapporteur on the situation with human rights in Belarus, the Group of Independent Experts on the situation with human rights in Belarus, and the ILO Special Envoy to Belarus.
Take labour rights violations into account when formulating sanctions and trade policies.
Ensure that companies engaging with any Belarusian businesses, state bodies, or other organisations implement appropriate human rights due diligence procedures.
Support independent trade union and human rights initiatives, including those operating in exile.
Seek the immediate release of all trade union leaders and activists and an end to the politically motivated persecution of workers.
Promote the restoration of freedom of association and the creation of conditions for the functioning of independent trade unions in Belarus.
The systemic human rights crisis in the labour sector in Belarus requires an immediate and coordinated international response. Without the restoration of independent trade unions, neither decent work nor sustainable development can be ensured.
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Barys Zvozskau Belarusian Human Rights House
Belarusian Congress of Democratic Trade Unions
Belarusian Helsinki Committee
PEN Belarus
Human Constanta
Human Rights Center ‘Viasna’
International Committee for the Investigation of Torture in Belarus
Lawtrend
Legal Initiative
Office for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
Rabochy Rukh
Respect-Protect-Fulfill
Affiliated international human rights organisations
Labour Rights Monitoring Mission
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