Union busting in Belarus became a topic for discussion in the Hague

The Netherlands have seen an action of solidarity with political prisoners in Belarus. Wim Deckers, an FNV activist, shared with the participants a recollection of the repressions against independent trade unions in Belarus.

On May 16, 2025, at the initiative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, the Hague hosted an event to mark the International Day of Solidarity with Political Prisoners in Belarus. The event was attended by human rights defenders, politicians, and union activists who continued providing support of Belarusian unionists imprisoned for their political convictions and civic activism.

Before the event, Wim Deckers, one of the participants representing the FNV union, provided a brief overview of the situation of independent unions in Belarus who have suffered repressions and forced dissolution in 2022 to the Government of the Netherlands.

Speaking at a panel discussion during the event, Deckers said, “We have witnessed the genocide of trade unions and the destruction of democracy in Belarus. Indeperndent union have been destroyed and those “yellow” structures that remain are trying to distort the very essence of the struggle for workers’ rights”.

He also recalled the application of Article 33 of the ILO Constitution to Belarus because of persistent violations of the right to freedom of association in the country, saying that the Article was a corner stone. Deckers particularly stressed the importance of international support and awareness of the situation and warned against the danger of giving legitimacy to the pseudo-unions that work to promote the interests of the regime.

As a part of the event, the participants visited the exhibition “Letters from Lukashenka’s Prisoners” organized by the human rights initiative Index on Censorship. The exhibits included evidence provided by prisoners and reminded visitors that there were still over 1200 people in Belarus who had been imprisoned for their views.

After the formal part of the event, Wim Deckers managed to have an informal exchange with representatives of the Government of the Netherlands, including the coordinator for Belarus, and strengthen important ties for continued solidarity and advocacy work.

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