Ukraine
The FPSU trade union confederation, backed by public sector unions, organized a national demonstration on 17 October to highlight poverty pay and the failure of the government to participate in proper social dialogue with the trade unions. The unions had a broad range of demands on pensions and low pay as well as calling for the end to wage discrimination in the public sector and introduction of a unified pay scale.
Read more at > FPSU (UKr)
The STAL local government union organized a series of protests near the prime minister’s office in the week beginning 23 August. The union is protesting about government policy towards local government and in particular restrictions of the collective bargaining process and plans to introduce greater working time flexibility. Read more at > STAL (PT)
The ICTU confederation has called a national demonstration for 27 November in protest at what is expected to be another austerity budget with major cuts in public spending. ICTU general secretary David Begg said: "We have had three austerity budgets but we are in a worse position than when the process started.” Unions argue in particular that those on low incomes will be hit hard, particularly with a potential cut in the minimum wage. [Read more at > Impact (EN)->http://www.impact.ie/iopen24/-t-90_602.html ] [And at > SIPTU->http://www.siptu.ie/PressRoom/NewsReleases/2010/Name,11992,en.html ]
Around 1000 members of EPSU affiliate the Trade Union of the National Ukrainian Academy of Sciences took part in a protest outside the government and parliament on 19 October. They were calling for an increase in the Academy’s budget for 2012 not just to ensure better pay for workers but also to ensure that the Academy continued to maintain the level and quality of its research work.
