PSI trade unions fight for decent work and trade union rights in Ukraine

On October 17, International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, almost 20 thousand trade union members gathered at the Kyiv University, marched through the city centre and blocked the Government quarter. All FPU branch and regional affiliates were represented: public sector workers, doctors, teachers, miners, communal workers, metalworkers, etc. Trade unionists were chanting “Jobs, Wages, Decent Life!” all their way.

In front of the Cabinet of Ministers a massive rally was held. The speakers included FPU President Grygorii Osovyi, chairman of the Miners’ Union Viktor Turmanov, head of Kyiv city organisation of the Trade Union of Education Workers Oleksandr Yatsun, Parliament members, workers from public and private sectors.

Authorities must hear the voice of the people – this was the main message of the speakers who outlined the most urgent issues at their workplaces.

Workers are against the policy of cheap labour force, against growing inequality when only 1% of people own 80% of the wealth.

Today in Ukraine every 5th worker lives in poverty; minimum wage does not provide for the reproduction of the workforce because it is lower than the living wage while wages and bonuses of top managers in state companies are hundreds of times higher; wage arrears have reached almost UAH 3 billion; 5 million workers were forced to migrate abroad in search of a decent job.

The rally elected their representatives who met with Prime Minister of Ukraine Volodymyr Groysman and passed him the demands of the protesters:

• to promote the development of the national industry in order to ensure creation of new jobs in Ukraine. We need decent jobs with decent wages!
• to stop the immigration of skilled workers abroad, to put an end to the strategy of saving money at the expense of workers, by setting the minimum wage at the level of UAH 7700 pursuant to the national legislation and state’s international commitments;
• not to increase the price and tariffs for natural gas, electricity, housing and communal services, transport in the situation when ordinary people cannot afford paying for them;
• to provide for the allocation of 7% of GDP to the education, 5% of the GDP to the healthcare in the State Budget 2019 as is required by the legislation;
• to urgently pay outstanding wages to more than 100,000 workers;
• to stop state’s takeover of trade union property and to respect trade union rights.