Central on its agenda was an ad hoc team report, sharply critical of the Belarussian government as it is persecuting the independent labour movement. The report highlights bad and numerous trespasses of basic rights and freedoms, which concern independent union leaders and activists. The team offers practical recommendations to Belarus' government to urgently cure the matter-many with July 1, 2005, for deadline.
The recommendations are well-grounded, Antonina Morova, Belarus' Minister of Labour and Social Protection, acknowledged on Cabinet behalf. Her country's government will work to comply with them, she vouched.
The ILO Governing Body took the commission paper into consideration alongside the Belarussian government reply to pass the issue into the competence of the ILO committee for freedom of association.
Also prominent on the session agenda were debates on ILO contribution to guaranteeing globalisation justice, workforce migration issues, employees' situation in occupied Arab lands, and forced labour in Burma.
The Governing Body, ILO executive council, has 46 permanent members-Russia among them, and 66 alternate members. It gathers three times a year-March, June and November-to charter further Organisation policies and draft and agenda for the nearest annual International Labour Conference.
