Ukraine

In a joint letter to the social affairs ministry, union federations and confederations have expressed a wide range of major concerns about a new draft labour code. They argue it fails to provide adequate protection for employees and is missing some basic key principles such as the right to paid employment and equal pay for the work of equal value. They also point out that there are no norms in the draft Labour Code determining the legal status of the trade unions and that it is also missing rules to regulate collective labour disputes and conflicts.

ITUC ETUC to Chairman Verkhovna Rade re Support for Social Dialogue 0115The ITUC and ETUC global and European trade union confederations have written to the President, Prime Minister and Parliament to call for respect for social dialogue. While recognising the very difficult political and economic circumstances facing the country the Confederations argue that these should not be used to justify unilateral action. They quote the EU's High Representative Federica Mogherini who has underlined the importance of social dialogue in countries' democratic development. The intervention of the ITUC and

The Federation of Trade Unions has written a letter to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) calling for a softening of the IMF's conditions applied to its financial assistance for the country. The Federation points out that a combination of rising prices and wage arrears has left around 30% of the population below the poverty line. The unions want action to protect the poor and low paid and improved public finances based on a more progressive tax system. The Federation is also calling for a transparent and constructive dialogue with the government and for an agreement with the IMF that

Trade unions are in dispute with the government and employers over a range of issues including labour rights and social guarantees. Among the key demands are the call to: repay wage arrears; raise the minimum wage to the level of subsistence; index wages to inflation in 2014-2015; implement European principles of openness of government and conduct effective social dialogue. Trade unions have been using the International Labour Organisation and national legislation to try to assert their rights as well as large-scale industrial and territorial protests.

FPU in constitutional process ENThe government has agreed to the proposal of the FPU trade union confederation to include trade union representatives in the Commission set up to discuss changes to the constitution. This will give unions a say in key elements of the constitution, particularly those based on conventions of the International Labour Organisation (ILO). The Ukraine has ratified 62 conventions and another 5-7 are being prepared for further ratification. The unions see this as especially important in the context of the ILO Convention No. 81 on Labour Inspection. Also important is

Earlier this year the Health Workers' Union organised a seminar to discuss the main challenges it faces in relation to health reforms and underfunding of the health services. A major issue is the pay system which includes rates of pay set below the national minimum wage. Although, all workers get the statutory minimum it means that the whole pay structure in the health sector is far too low. The union wants the minimum basic salary in the health sector to start at the legal minimum wage. At the moment, for example, nurses (or first grade qualification) are categorised at wage level 9. They

The EPSU affiliate representing workers at the National Academy of Sciences organised demonstrations in Kiev and regional centres on 10 October to protest at planned cuts to the budget and the failure of the government to implement an agreement on wages concluded earlier this year. The union argues that workers at the Academy have already seen their pay fall in relation to the rest of the economy and the cuts will make this situation work. The government is considering alternatives that might lead to as many as 7718 job cuts. The union says that further protests will follow if there is no

Unions have welcomed the fact that President Yuschenko has signed a bill increasing pay and pensions despite a call by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Prime Minister to veto the bill. The IMF says that the implementing the bill requires an increase in public spending above the limits it set as part of its loan package conditions. The FPU union confederation had had a video conference with IMF head office in order to stress the need to tackle poverty in the country. It then picketed the IMF offices in the Ukraine in protest at the failure of the institution’s insistence on

Public and private sector unions joined forces in regional protests on 17 December and in a national demonstration on 23 December focusing on the economic crisis and the need to protect the living standards of workers and pensioners. The FPSU confederation drew up a series of demands aimed at the government, parliament, local authorities, central bank and employers calling for an increased minimum wage, payment of wages in arrears and a withdrawal of planned increases to energy costs and other basic elements of the cost of living. EPSU and PSI both sent messages of support. [Read more at >

On Wednesday, August 6, the Trade Union of Gas Facilities Workers of Ukraine organized a demonstration to demand a review of the tariffs for gas transportation and delivery. More than 3,000 trade union members - employees of gas distribution companies picketed the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine. Ivan Yarovy, chairman of the trade union, said that higher tariffs would enable gas distribution companies to increase the wages of all their employees. Besides, regional gas distribution companies' low tariffs for transportation of natural gas were the main reason for the increase in the number of

The FPSU trade union confederation organised a meeting in December to highlight the continuing and serious abuse of trade union rights. The roundtable agreed a clear resolution with messages to the parliament, president, council of ministers, ombudsman and prosecutor general and supreme court calling for action to defend trade union rights and to abide by the International Labour Organisation conventions on the right to association and right to collective bargaining.

On February 15 over 100 representatives of trade unions, employers' organizations, national executive bodies, scientific institutions and public organizations took part in a round table devoted to the question of health and safety. The participants agreed to call on the public authorities to improve labour inspection services, to work with social partners to agree new norms on health and safety and to ensure proper implementation of relevant ILO Conventions (particularly 81 on labour inspection) and articles 3 and 22 of the Council of Europe’s European Social Charter on health and safety and

Austerity measures are not just biting across the European Union. On 9 December, President Viktor Yanukovych ordered the Cabinet of Ministers to cut the number of civil servants working in central bodies of the executive by at least 30% and the number of civil servants working for the Secretariat of the Cabinet of Ministers by at least 50% as part of a process of central government reorganization.