Head of Russia's trade unions threatens Minsk with international sanctions
Russia's trade unions leader has said in a comment to Euroradio that Belarus has not responded to the letter yet.
The reason for the letter
was the famous decree number 9, which prohibits the workers of the wood
processing enterprises to quit their jobs.
Mikhail Shmakov wrote an appeal to Alyaksandr Lukashenka as a
President of the Pan-European Regional Council of the International
Confederation of Trade Unions back on December 21. Besides, Shmakov is also a
Chairman of the Federation of the Independent Trade Unions of Russia.
Mikhail Shmakov: "We have read the decree, and based
on it, on behalf of the Pan-European Regional Council of the International Confederation
of Trade Unions, where I am the President, and on behalf of the international
community... Naturally, we have consulted with the International Federation of
Trade Unions as well".
In Shmakov's letter, the conditions of the Decree #9 are compared with slavery
and serfdom. "I regret to say that the conditions of the decree remind
the actions of the Myanmar authorities, which were sharply criticized by the
International Labour Organization and the international community, which led to
the imposition of sanctions, fatigue recession and the international isolation
of the country", - stated in the appeal.
On behalf of 89 trade unions from 55 European and Eurasian countries, Shmakov
urged the Belarusian authorities to abolish Decree #9.
