The upcoming report of the Special Rapporteur on Belarus, which will be presented at the 80th session of the General Assembly in October 2025, will focus on the human rights situation in the sphere of labour and employment.
As part of the Special Rapporteur's call for information on the situation in this area, the BHC sent a report on the politicisation of labour regulation, in particular repressive legislation and administrative practices.
We have described recent legislative changes aimed at the general legalisation of ideological pressure in the workplace, as well as at restricting access to certain professions for political reasons. Such regulation includes A. Lukashenko's Directive No. 12, a separate section of which is devoted to improving “ideological work” in labour collectives, and Directive No. 11, which creates the basis for ensuring the “ideological conformity” of civil servants. We also described the legislative “filters” that exclude those who are perceived by the authorities as disloyal (including those previously convicted of “extremist” offences): a ban on working with children, loyalty requirements introduced for guides and translators, astronauts and notaries, and proposed for the self-employed and temporary (crisis) managers, as well as restrictions for state officials and diplomats related to their possession of foreign documents.
In the report, we also drew attention to such repressive administrative practices as politically motivated dismissals and job refusals; the system of fixed-term employment contracts as a mechanism for monitoring and exerting pressure on employees; the introduction of the position of “Deputy for decurity” in government agencies with broad powers in the field of personnel policy; interference in the privacy of employees by checking personal smartphones, monitoring trips to “unfriendly countries", pressure related to employees’ or their relatives’ possession of foreign documents; forcing employees to join pro-government political parties. In addition, we emphasised that the general systemic policy of persecution leads to local repressive initiatives, and pointed to the tendency to involve the private sector in violating workers' rights.
The legislation and administrative measures we have described violate fundamental rights such as freedom of expression, association, and assembly. Thus, the State continues to punish citizens for legitimate political choices made five years ago, for active participation in political and public life, including by expressing their opinions in various forms.
But this regulation also seriously violates the right to work, including equal access to work and ensuring fair and favorable working conditions without discrimination. The increasing reliance on “loyalty” as a criterion has effectively created a discriminated against class of people who are progressively shut out from the labour market and public life. This exclusion bars them from numerous professions, not only restricting their career choices, but frequently leaving them with no viable means of employment - and therefore no means of livelihood, especially in rural areas and small settlements where opportunities are scarce. Others are compelled to practice self-censorship and to neglect the proper fulfillment of their professional duties to avoid becoming dismissed.
As a result, the population's access to qualified specialists and basic services, including quality healthcare, education, legal aid, and other areas, is also deteriorating.
We also discussed the politicisation of labour regulation in the framework of a coalition report prepared jointly with other human rights organisations and the Belarusian Congress of Democratic Trade Unions. The coalition report also draws attention to such problems as the de facto elimination of freedom of association and independent trade unions; persecution of activists and discrimination of workers on political, gender and other grounds; widespread use of forced labour; violation of the rights of women and vulnerable groups, including people with disabilities and former political prisoners; a significant deterioration in the independence of the legal profession, which, in turn, leads to a limited opportunity to receive legal assistance. The report also raises the issue of Belarus' systematic evasion from fulfilling international obligations in the field of labour rights, including years of ignoring the recommendations of the International Labour Organization (ILO) and withdrawing from a number of international treaties guaranteeing the protection of workers' rights.
