A large EPSU delegation joined hundreds of other trade unionists from across Europe to celebrate 50 years of struggle for Europe’s workers and people. We ended the ETUC Congress with the election of a new team and the adoption of an action plan titled ‘Together for a Fair Deal for Workers in Europe’.
EPSU has joined with the European and global trade union confederations, ETUC and ITUC, in protests over anti-union legislation passed by the Ukrainian parliament. A major concern is law 5371, which has been attacked by the FPSU confederation for severely restricting employment protection, but other legislation also weakens workers’ rights, including law 5161 which allows the use of zero-hours contracts. The ETUC and ITUC have called on the European institutions to intervene in the light of Ukraine’s new status as an EU candidate country. EPSU has also written to the European Commission about
Among other issues, the social dialogue partners discussed and approved a joint statement of solidarity with Ukrainian employers, trade unions and workers in the hospital and healthcare sector.
The health workers’ union is negotiating with the Ministry of Health, the Ukrainian Federation of Health Employers and the Joint Representative Body of All-Ukrainian Representative Trade Unions on a new five-year agreement to cover the period up to 2026. A draft has been prepared covering some of the main issues including sustainable development of the sector, working conditions and work-life balance; job protection; health care; social protection, cultural needs and guaranteeing the activities of trade unions. The main challenge will be to resolve issues around pay and the union is looking to
These leaked documents show that the UK government via its development aid arm (UK Aid) and the UK embassy in Kiev is funding consultants to assist the Ukrainian Ministry of Economy in selling its neo-liberal market reforms to the Ukrainian people.
Thousands of trade unionists took to the streets of Kiev again on 7 October in their long-running campaign against government proposals for labour reforms. The legal changes have been condemned by the international trade union movement and clearly contravene key International Labour Organisation conventions. The demonstration was also used to call for a range of measures including increases to the minimum wage and social benefits.
EPSU is supporting the call by the international and European trade union confederations – ITUC and ETUC – for parliament to suspend the current discussion on labour law reform. The international trade union movement is backing the Ukrainian unions in their long-running campaign to block the reforms and to start a proper process of consultation with trade unions. Analysis of a number of draft laws shows that they are incompatible with International Labour Organisation conventions and EU social legislation, undermining workers’ basic employment rights as well as working time and health and
The Ukrainian Parliament, the Verkovna Rada, is considering reform of the labour law. Many of its amendments would be regressive for workers’ rights and would not be compatible with international labour standards.
The FPSU trade union confederation continues to lobby and campaign against legislation being proposed by the government that will seriously undermine worker and trade union rights. The confederation organised meetings with MPs at the parliament on 29 April. Unions have repeatedly pointed out, with support from international trade union bodies, that the proposed laws conflict with International Labour Organisation conventions as well as the Ukrainian constitution. Draft law 5371, for example, will create new categories of employees and effectively deny basic rights to organise and collectively
The EPSU affiliates of North East Europe expressed their concerns about developments in the region in the online meeting of the North East European constituency on 3 March. They received information about the situation in Armenia, Belarus, Georgia and Ukraine.
