Union Rights, Ukraine

(August 2016) The Federation of Trade Unions of Ukraine along with public sector trade unions have called on the government to take urgent action to increase public budgets. The unions argue that there is not enough money allocated to pay public sector wages for the whole year. Healthcare alone requires an extra UAH 2.58 billion (EUR 90 million). The unions argue that the shortfall in budgets is undermining workers’ rights as they are forced to take unpaid leave or shift to a part-time work and are losing out on other payments.

On 17 October, around 20000 trade union members from both private and public sectors marched through Kyiv city centre and blocked the government quarter. The main demands of the demonstration were for investment in industry for decent jobs, raise the minimum wage to help stop emigration, not to increase utilities prices, for the state budget to allocate the equivalent of 7% of GDP to education and 5% to healthcare, to urgently pay outstanding wages to more than 100,000 workers and to stop state’s takeover of trade union property and respect trade union rights.

The FPU trade union federation took part in a parliamentary hearing earlier this month to highlight the urgent need to protect basic trade union rights. The trade union representatives gave evidence of the attacks on trade unions, banning of trade union leaders from workplaces and attempts to seize trade union property by the authorities. The unions set out a range of demands to the committee including a law to protect trade union property, measures to underpin the right to strike and effective enforcement of the core ILO conventions on collective bargaining and freedom of association as well

Trade unions across the country are working together to resist state interference in trade union affairs and attempts to take over trade union property including offices and training centres. The latest incident occurred in the Zarpattia region in the west of the country where trade union activists from different sectors gathered at the entrance to the offices of the regional trade union council to physically resist attempts to take over the building by the authorities.

Trade unions organised a demonstration in Kiev on 17 December as part of a campaign against proposed changes to the labour code that would weaken workers’ protection. EPSU has sent letters to the Ukrainian government demanding that it discusses and negotiates with the unions. The ETUC Executive Committee and the Pan-European Regional Council of the ITUC have also adopted positions in support of the Ukrainian unions.

EPSU and other international trade union organisations have joined the protests against labour law reforms that would undermine worker and trade union rights. Among other negative changes, the reforms would reduce protection against dismissal, increase working time, allow for zero-hour contracts, undermine collective bargaining and weaken trade union rights' to organise. Trade unions were not involved in any consultation over the proposals and EPSU has sent a letter of protest to the government.

Trade unions across Europe have been sending messages of solidarity to Ukrainian unions as they step up their campaign against planned reforms of labour law. Proposed legislation would abolish the most important legal and social guarantees for workers and trade unions covering minimum wages, pay and leave for hazardous work, weekly rest periods, overtime pay and limits, restrictions on night work for women, dismissal rights and protection of workers with disabilities. It allows for more flexible contracts, including zero-hours and weakens trade union rights. A national day of action has been