MINSK, 8 February (BelTA) - A collective letter against sanctions with the signatures of Belarusian workers has been sent to the Council of the European Union, BelTA learned from the press service of the Federation of Trade Unions of Belarus (FTUB).
More than 1,130,000 workers of Belarusian enterprises and organizations have signed the letter. It is a solidarity protest of workers against the illegal and unjustified measures taken by the European Union against the Belarusian enterprises.
“We have repeatedly stressed that these actions of the EU are illegal. This is not a mere assertion. The United Nations Charter stipulates that sanctions can be applied if the actions of a country pose a threat to peace or violate peace and security. The enterprises on the sanctions list do not fall under that definition in any way. They do not violate national and international law and pose no threat to regional and global stability and security.
The European Union deliberately turn a blind eye to the contradiction of sanctions to international law. They refuse to recognize that, in the first place, the sanctions affect ordinary workers of organizations and enterprises. This fact, however, is confirmed both by UN resolutions and by numerous studies, including those conducted by representatives of the European Union. Moreover, today we know that more than 300 employees of the Belarus sanatorium in Druskininkai, Lithuania, have already been left without a stable income because of the actions of the EU officials. However, this fact is also deliberately concealed by the EU representatives,” the FTUB said.
It is worth noting that the collection of signatures against the EU economic restrictive measures was conducted completely openly, transparently and on a voluntary basis. Contacts were sent to all organizations and enterprises, where one could anonymously address in case the right to free expression of will was violated. To date, not a single complaint has been received in this regard. In connection with the unfounded statement of the European Union representative in Belarus about the alleged cases of pressure on workers, the Federation of Trade Unions of Belarus sent a request for confirmation of this information to the representative of the European Union. The FTUB is ready to assist in recalling the signatures of specific people if such facts are confirmed.
“A real person is behind every signature. These are ordinary people from all regions and sectors of the economy of our country. The European Union has no right to brush aside people's opinions and positions. Belarus has always advocated the establishment of friendly, partnership relations with the European Union. It is possible only with mutual respect and dialogue. A letter signed by Belarusians, sent to the Council of the European Union, is another step towards this dialogue,” representatives of the FTUB stressed.
The FTUB stated that the demands of Belarusian workers had been supported by the largest political parties of the country (the Republican Party of Labor and Justice, the Communist Party of Belarus and the Liberal Democratic Party of Belarus). More than a dozen major international trade union associations of the CIS and Europe, including more than 50 million people, have already adopted statements of unacceptability of the sanctions policy and restrictions of the right to work.
