Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2005, published 95th ILC session (2006)

The Committee notes the Government’s report.

The Committee notes that according to section 5(2) of the Law on Trade Unions, trade unions were forbidden from association with any political party (association). The Committee believes that the development of the trade union movement and the increasing recognition of its role as a social partner in its own right mean that workers’ organizations must be able to voice their opinion on political issues in the broad sense of the term and, in particular, to express their views publicly on a government’s economic and social policy. The Committee is of the view that legislative provisions which prohibit all political activities for trade unions give rise to serious difficulties with regard to the principles of the Convention. Some degree of flexibility in legislation is desirable, so that a reasonable balance can be achieved between legitimate interests of organizations in expressing their point of view on matters of economic or social policy affecting their members and workers in general, on the one hand, and the separation of political activities in the strict sense of the term and trade union activities, on the other (see General Survey of 1994, paragraphs 131 and 133). The Committee requests that the Government indicate the types of activities prohibited by this provision.