Botswana Federation of Trade Unions (BFTU) is a National labour Centre, with a solid history as a labour movement in Botswana and globally that believes in freedom of thought, expression and association as guaranteed by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and International Labour Organizations’ Conventions. We firmly believe that workers’ rights are indeed human rights as espoused in the principles of the International Labour Organization. Amongst our many objectives, is to fight for these rights both locally and globally.
As a Federation, we have however sadly learnt of the visit of Minister of International Relations, Dr.Phenyo Butale to the Republic of Belarus from 30th June to 03rd July 2025.It is said, while in Belarus, the Minister will explore areas for enhanced bilateral cooperation between the two countries in Agriculture, Engineering and Education. We must state from the on-set that Belarus is a country famous for gross violation of workers’ rights, including arbitrary arrests and murders of Trade Union leaders and Activists, therefore we cannot accept any visits to nations with such a record by officials, especially from a Government that has put Human Rights observance as its foundation of governance. About 29 Trade Union leaders, including Aliaksandr Yarashuk, who is also a member of the ILO Governing body remain imprisoned since March 2025 in Belarus.
Belarus, has many times been found guilty of gross violations of workers’ rights by the International Organization’s Supervisory bodies, Commissions of Inquiry and the ILO Governing body specifically on ILO Conventions 87 and 98 and is currently a subject of Article 33 of the ILO Constitution. It is however sad to note that the Government of Belarus has publicly refused to implement any of the recommendations of these bodies for compliance including at the last 113th session of the ILC held from 02nd -14th June 2025, in Genève. Switzerland. It is also important to note that, in all the sessions of the International Labour Conference where matters of Belarus were discussed, the Government of Botswana was part of the discussions including at the said 2025, 113th session which had a special sitting on Belarus, where they (Botswana Government) abstained from voting on the recommendations on Belarus, a move that came as a shock to BFTU which is now becoming clearer with this visit by Minister Butale.
The Public is invited to access the ILO website, where reports on Belarus and its gross violations of workers’ rights are available for appreciation. The reports give a vivid picture of the state of workers’ rights in Belarus, which we cannot ignore. As BFTU we stand in solidarity with the workers of Belarus, especially Trade Union leaders and activists who remain under siege at the hands of the brutal Government of Belarus. We believe that there is nothing worth learning and a visit to the nation of Belarus, a country famous for such gross disrespect for Human Rights and the ILO as an organization.
We want to urge the Government of Botswana to start walking the talk. It cannot be correct that the same Government that preaches Human Rights, would be seen at dinner tables with such transgressors like those of Belarus. Such visits are tainted and raises serious suspicions on the intentions of Government on workers’ rights locally.
