Modernization of Ukrainian labour legislation: view of trade unions

Trade Union Conference in Kyiv - December, 3, 2016

3 December 2016 All-Ukrainian trade union “Zakhyst Pratsi” (“Defense of Labour) conducted its final conference in in Kyiv in the framework with common project with Rosa Luxembourg Foundation (Germany) “Modernization of Ukrainian labour legislation: view of trade union and labour law specialists”.

The activists of following Ukrainian trade unions, civil unions and left-wing parties, participated in the conference work:

AUITU “Zakhyst Pratsi” (trade union branches at PJSC “Ukrsybbank”(BNP Paribas) (Kyiv), Living-Exploitation Company # 109 (Kyiv), “Metro Cashand Carry “(Kyiv), “Pivdenmash (Dnipro)

• ATU “People Solidarity” (trade union branch of converter shop of PJSC “Metallurgic Company “Azovstal” (Mariupol).
• Independent trade union at PJSC “Mondelis Ukraine” (Trostianets, Сумська область)
• Independent miners trade union (city organization, Kryvyi Rig)
• All-Ukrainian Trade Union Confederation (Kyiv)
• Trade union of Ukrainian land relations industry (Kyiv)
• National Trade Union Confederation of Ukraine (Dnipro, Kyiv)
• All-Ukrainian trade union of attested police workers (regional organization, Mykolaiv)
• Trade union of aircraft builders of Ukraine (FTUU, Kyiv)
• Independent trade union “Solidarity” of Black Sea ship-building plant (Mykolaiiv)
• Independent trade union of Mariupol sea port (Mariupol)
• Independent trade union Mykolaiiv sea port (Mykolaiiv)
• Strike committee of “Khersonelektrotrans” plant (Kherson)
• Civil council of the Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine
• Workers Party (Kyiv, Mykolaiiv, Dnipro)
• Social-Democratic Party (Kyiv)
• Organizational committee of Social Movement party (Kyiv, Kryvyi Rig).

 The following persons had spoken at the conference:

Dmytro Filipchuk – the Chairman of Trade union of Ukrainian land relations industry

Petro Petrychenko – the Chairman of National Trade Union Confederation of Ukraine and

Grygorii Kabanchenko – the Chairman of Civil council of the Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine.

We’d received comradely greetings from following fraternal organizations: 

• independent workers trade union of Kazakhstan “Zhanartu” (Mukhtar Umbetov and Ainur Kurmanov)
• general national French trade union l’Union syndicale Solidaires (from the name of trade union its Chairman Verveine Angeli)
• left-wing parliament party Red Green Alliance, Denmark (from the name of party’s international secretariat – Mikael Hertoft)
• The Ukraine Solidarity Campaign (Great Britain) (from the name of organization its founder Marco Bojcun).

 Main reports at the conference was done by the researchers: Natalia Agnyshchenko – the Chairman of Women Bureau of AUITU “Zakhyst Pratsi” (“Gender aspect in new Labour Code draft: remarks and propositions of social active and trade union activists” and Vitalii Dudin – the lawyer of the Center of social and labour researches (“Selective adoption of European experience as the way of labour rights shortening”). Third report was done by the Chairman of the Central Coordination Committee of all-Ukrainian trade union “People Solidarity” Oleksii Kliashtornyi (“Persoectives and dangers of new Labour Code”).

The panel discussion on the topic “Modern problems of Ukrainian labour legislation reforming: general Ukrainian and regional aspects” with attraction with regional conference participants was made under the moderation of lawyer – human rights defender Oleksandr Palii.

Undoubtedly, the conference has shown high ability of the activists of Ukrainian independent trade unions in the direction of further struggle against anti-worker and anti-union new Labour Code draft. The connections between activists of different Ukrainian trade unions considerable improved during 2016. The problems of analysis of new Labour Code draft indeed was very important and actual for integration of the activists of Ukrainian independent trade unions on all-Ukrainian level. Both newly established and quite experienced trade unions form different regions of Ukraine at the first time received real possibility to coordinate its efforts for widening among working class masses real and true information regarding this predator and anti-worker new Labour Code draft.

Independent Ukrainian trade unions, left-wing activists as well as professional and honest scientists – law researchers succeed during very short period of time to create the coalition of trade union organizations, civil unions and even political forces, mainly left-wing, which meaningly and sharply stood against power’s attempts to shift off their numerous failures in state’s social policy into shoulders of millions ordinary workers.

31 May 2016 the Appeal of Ukrainian national platform of civil society forum of Eastern Partnership regarding new Ukrainian Labour Code draft was published. This appeal first time directly declares that both text of this draft and hidden and non-democratic order of its viewing in the Parliament of Ukraine provokes serious disturbing from the side of different Ukrainian civil society institutions.

With the help of series protest actions and powerful informational efforts in the beginning of autumn 2016 our trade union succeed to call quite massive Ukrainian society resonance directly to the issue of expediency ща new Labour Code adoption under hard present situation. In the end of September 2016 the parliament faction of Oleg Liashko’s Radical Party resolutely refused to vote for this draft of Labour Code in the second reading. And it’s necessary to note that just our principled and persevering position called and secured making of this decision.

All-Ukrainian conference became very successful and breakthrough. Independent Ukrainian trade unions has begun to select among all its membership it’s those militant part, which is really ready right now to begin coordinated struggle among for the plenty of issue of social and labour rights of Ukrainian workers. We’ll win if we struggle!