Pavel Seviarynets: Changes In Poland Started With Independent Trade Unions

The authorities are afraid of the REP trade union, which has become a powerful force.

Co-chairman of the steering committee for creation of the Belarusian Christian Democracy party Pavel Seviarynets said this to Charter97.org, commenting on the fact that the trial in the “trade unions case” will begin on July 30:

- First, you need to understand why there was a „criminal case“ against the leaders of the independent trade union REP Henadz Fiadynich and Ihar Komlik. After the Outraged Belarusians’ March against the decree on „parasites“, it became clear that the independent trade unions in Belarus have become a powerful force. Whereas trade unionists gathered dozens of thousands of signatures against the savage decree and become a driving force of popular uprisings.

A few months after a wave of actions across the country, the “trade unions case” was fabricated. It is very similar to the case of Chairman of the Human Rights Center „Viasna“ Ales Bialiatski, which is already worldwide known as demonstrative example of repression against the Belarusian people.

They invented some taxes, allegedly unpaid seven years ago, that is the authorities tried to make some malicious „non-payers of taxes” out of the people’s defenders. It is obvious that the “trade unions case” is yet another fact of lawlessness on the part of the present regime against honest Belarusians.

You can support these decent people - Henadz Fiadynich and Ihar Komlik – and show your solidarity by coming to the trial on July 30. Let the authorities see that there are very many people who support independent trade unions.

At the time, the changes in Poland started with the independent trade unions.