At the beginning of November world has witnessed the launch of a general strike in Belarus with one simple demand: “Lukashenko Go!” The strike was called by Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who heads the Co-ordination Council for the Transfer of Power, after consultation with the strike committee leaders of the largest state enterprises.
The workers’ heroic action has been met with a remorseless wave of arrests, the sacking of strikers and long-term detention of union leaders. During the eclipse of his power, Lukashenko is working together with Putin to fragment the opposition, with the collusion of the “yellow” official trade unions.
What are the prospects for the emergence of a workers’ party to represent the majority of people in Belarus? Are the continuing demonstrations and strikes leading to the impending transfer of power? Is the working class decisively breaking the old order and instituting workers’ democracy?
In this video hear leading members of Belarus trade unions Hanna Danilovich, activist and labour relations researcher Elena Edwards, translator and solidarity activist Wim Dekkers, Dutch trade unionist and advisor to the independent trade unions Vincent Presumey, French Marxist David Hemson, South African trade unionist and Marxist