The leader of the Polish trade union "Solidarność" Piotr Duda appealed to the President of Poland and the head of the Polish government with a request to influence the release of the imprisoned Belarusian trade union leaders, writes tysol.pl.
“We call for public support for the independent trade union movement in Belarus and demand that all possible measures be taken to immediately release trade union activists,” wrote the head of the Polish trade union Piotr Duda in a letter yesterday to President Andrzej Duda and Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki.
The sentences against trade union activists are related to peaceful demonstrations and protests in the workplace, against the authoritarian and anti-worker policies of the Belarusian regime. Together with the chairman of the BKDP Aliaksandr Yarashuk, deputy chairman Siarhei Antusevich and the association's chief accountant Irina But-Husaim were convicted. Over the past six months, dozens of other leaders and activists of democratic trade unions belonging to the BKDP have been convicted.
“Condemnation of trade union leaders for exercising their legitimate right to freedom of association is a flagrant violation of the principles of international law,” the letter says.
Therefore, "Solidarność" supports the request of the International Labor Organization (ILO) Committee of Experts on the Application of the Convention (CEACR) to “release all remaining trade unionists and drop all charges related to participation in peaceful protests and strikes, and call on the Governing Body of the ILO to urgently check the conditions of detention of trade union activists”. According to Solidarity, this activity should be supported by state bodies, so the letter was sent to the Polish authorities.
“We call for public support for the independent trade union movement in Belarus and demand that the Belarusian authorities take all possible measures for the immediate and unconditional release of trade union activists, as well as more than 1,400 other human rights defenders and political prisoners, and stop persecution and repression against independent trade unions and human rights defenders,” - wrote Piotr Duda in a letter to the president and prime minister.
Source: tysol.pl