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Trade union federation stages Labor Day rally

The pro-government Federation of Trade Unions of Belarus (FTUB) staged a Labor Day rally in front of the National Library in Minsk on May 1, BelaPAN reports.

A resolution adopted at the rally welcomed Alyaksandr Lukashenka’s policy to “build a socially oriented state” and criticized the government for poorly executing the president’s directives and for having “unjustifiably frozen” the pay of educators, health care workers and other employees in the government-funded sector.

“It is important for us that Labor Day is being celebrated in a stable, peaceful and quiet atmosphere,” FTUB Chairman Leanid Kozik told reporters during the rally.

“We are not alone on this spring Labor Day,” Mr. Kozik said. “Participating in the rally are representatives of the government, the leadership of the city of Minsk, veterans’ organizations and workers’ collectives. Eighty-nine telegrams containing greetings and best wishes have come to us from trade unions in different countries and continents. And this means that our work and efforts are known far outside our state. And we’ve managed to achieve all this by our labor and our love for our beautiful country.”

The FTUB leader expressed gratitude to Mr. Lukashenka for the fact that “the country is free and developing as an independent state. “No money and no oil and gas can do anything with the Belarusians’ pride and their determination to live in a free and independent country,” he said.