Photo courtesy of the Federation of Trade Unions of Belarus
MINSK, 11 December (BelTA) – Economic sanctions lead to nothing good, and it is necessary to ensure respect for labor rights and allow countries to develop, Chairman of the Federation of Trade Unions of Belarus Yuri Senko said during the international conference “Modern economic challenges and their impact on labor relations, the socio-economic situation of workers” on 11 December, BelTA has learned.
“Representatives of the diplomatic corps, trade unions, scientists, and experts in labor relations and international law from 27 countries responded to our invitation to participate in the conference,” Yuri Senko noted. “Such broad representation indicates that the issues set for discussion at the conference are relevant not only for Belarus but also for other states.”
The chairman of the Federation of Trade Unions of Belarus stressed that the world has signed numerous documents proclaiming the equality of states, respect for national specificities, the aspiration to develop dialogue between peoples, joint social and economic progress, and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. “Unfortunately, in many cases, all these commitments have remained only on paper. The world is rapidly moving towards protectionism, trade barriers, and political division. International agreements are being destroyed, global supply chains are becoming fragile and vulnerable. Sanctions as a tool of political pressure and blackmail have essentially become a common practice for certain states to achieve their geopolitical goals in various corners of the world,” he said. “And this is despite the fact that the application of unilateral coercive measures contradicts the UN Charter, the norms of which all member states of the United Nations are obliged to fulfill. Today, at the expert council, all conference participants came to a unanimous conclusion that this should not be the case. The right should not be violated if norms are adopted.”
“Today’s conference allows us to discuss current issues, find a solution, and declare to the whole world that it is necessary to respect people’s rights, labor rights, and allow countries to develop. Economic sanctions lead to nothing good. They do not lead to the development of society, nor to an increase in wages, nor to the protection of people, nor to the protection of one’s own state. Today we want to listen to colleagues, unite all efforts, and voice our position on all international platforms,” Yuri Senko added.
“Belarus as a whole and the Federation of Trade Unions of Belarus in particular are proving the illegality and inadmissibility of sanctions on all international platforms,” the chairman of the Federation of Trade Unions of Belarus noted. “Today, even in Western countries, the rhetoric regarding sanctions is gradually changing. If just five years ago, the West cynically claimed that sanctions were being imposed in the interests of the people, today they are increasingly forced to acknowledge and voice an inconvenient truth: sanctions cause colossal harm.”
According to Yuri Senko, restrictive measures also negatively impact the labor domain. “Companies are forced to adapt to new logistical and economic realities, and workers to constantly changing conditions. All this leads to job cuts, wage reductions, and increases uncertainty about the future. Moreover, this is true not only for the states against which sanctions are imposed but also for those who initiated these sanctions,” he stated. “And this is inevitable. In the modern world, where all states are interconnected and interdependent, decisions about certain restrictions inevitably affect everyone.”
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