Ukraine, Malta

The government has proposed extending rights for working parents, currently enjoyed in the civil service, right across the public sector. The minimum legal provision of three months' leave and time off for emergencies was much improved by negotiation in the civil service where 12 months of parental leave is available and civil servants have the right to work shorter hours until their children reach the age of 12. Private sector employers have reacted angrily to the proposals fearing that the government might extend them beyond the public sector. [Read more at > EIRO (EN)->http://www.eurofound

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

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 >

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

President Viktor Yanukovych met with the FPU trade union confederation and other trade union representatives on 19 March to discuss a range of issues related to tackling the economic crisis. He underlined the importance of consultation with the unions, particularly over key social and economic issues and said he would personally promote adoption of the law on social dialogue by the Parliament. Yanukovych also affirmed the need for consultation with unions over setting state and local government budgets and to achieve a decent wage as an increase in purchasing power was vital for economic

Trade union representatives were involved in a meeting with the government and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to discuss the social and economic impact of IMF policies in the country. It was agreed to create a joint task force to examine the impact on wages with the participation of the government, local authorities, the FPU trade union confederations and other trade unions, employers and the IMF. The meeting also agreed to investigate new ways of bringing stability to the pensions system and to develop further social dialogue with the participation of the IMF.

On the even of the World Day for Decent Work, the FPSU trade union confederation highlighted the continuing problem of wage arrears. Although the situation had improved since the beginning of the year, workers were still owed UAH 1.5 billion (€135 million) in back pay with the state sector one of the worst affected. The Confederation also pointed out the problem of low pay the health sector and the need for a higher minimum wage. The government says it is aiming at a minimum wage of UAH 1004 by the end of 2011 but the union target is UAH 1655.

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.

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.

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.