[The rationale behind this effort—that worker rights must be
eliminated to promote economic growth—relies on deeply flawed and
outdated development models.]
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WORKERS’ RIGHTS ARE CRITICAL TO UKRAINE’S FUTURE  
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Liz Shuler
December 22, 2022
AFL-CIO
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_ The rationale behind this effort—that worker rights must be
eliminated to promote economic growth—relies on deeply flawed and
outdated development models. _

, European Public Service Union

 

As Russia’s war on Ukraine continues, Ukrainian workers and their
trade unions have become an undeniable force for solidarity and
community support throughout the country. Since the onset of the
conflict, union members from the Confederation of Free Trade Unions of
Ukraine (KVPU) and the Federation of Trade Unions of Ukraine (FPU)
have mobilized in large numbers, remain united behind their elected
government’s efforts to manage the war and continue to make valiant
sacrifices to defend the nation. However, in return, Ukraine’s
government is now moving to break the unions’ power
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and take away crucial workers’ rights that are central to upholding
its democracy. 

In March, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed Congress
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and drew a powerful connection between his country and ours, stating
that the war was a fight to protect our shared values of “democracy,
independence, freedom and care for everyone, for every person, for
everyone who works diligently….” A strong labor movement is
central to Ukraine’s struggle to remain an independent democracy
because workers’ rights and democracy are inextricably linked.
That’s been true throughout the conflict, and it will remain true
when this war ends. 

Unions put their organizing skills to use in the immediate aftermath
of Russia’s attack as part of the Trade Union Lifeline
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initiative. They quickly converted their offices and properties
into makeshift shelters
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to house more than 350,000 citizens displaced inside Ukraine. Unions
also allocated donated funds
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to fill gaps in care and moved large numbers of humanitarian supplies,
such as food, clothing, diapers and feminine hygiene products, to
those in need. Both national union federation presidents have made
numerous trips to front-line towns to personally deliver shipments.
Workers on the job are keeping the economy going, while thousands of
union members have enlisted in the military and the country’s civil
defense, many of whom have been killed
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Their incredible efforts have been recognized by the AFL-CIO and the
entire global labor movement, which has been unwavering
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in their support for Ukraine. 

In October, American Federation of Teachers (AFT) President Randi
Weingarten traveled to Lviv, Ukraine, to provide support, meet with
teachers and raise awareness
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about the war’s impact on the lives of children. Dozens of teachers
are working hard to ensure that students remain able to keep up with
their education. Members of the Construction and Building Materials
Workers Union of Ukraine (PROFBUD) have found creative ways
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to support the war effort, including procuring life-saving medications
and improvising the creation of a communications outpost for their
communities.  

American Federation of Teachers (AFT) President Randi Weingarten
meeting with a group of displaced teachers who came to Lviv from
eastern Ukraine.

 

While labor has proven invaluable to every facet of Ukraine’s fight
to defend its sovereignty, Ukraine’s parliament continues to advance
several anti-worker, anti-union policy efforts under the cover of the
crisis. In recent months, the parliament has considered more than 27
bills that would restrict or eliminate worker and union rights. One
proposal would confiscate the property of the FPU
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all its affiliated unions, many of which are being used to house the
displaced. Given that this property has been maintained and managed
for 30 years by union dues and finances with no issue, it is suspected
that the policy’s true motivation is to bankrupt the FPU and assert
government control over valuable pieces of real estate.

These are not just hypothetical threats. Law 2434-IX
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in July and enforced officially in August, eliminated collective
bargaining for all employers with 250 or fewer employees for the
period of martial law and introduced precarious “zero-hour”
contracts into Ukrainian labor relations. These contracts create a
more perilous work situation because employers are not obliged to
provide a minimum number of working hours to workers. Although these
changes were passed for the war’s duration, the government’s
Ukraine Recovery Plan indicates a desire to make these provisions
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Other equally troubling bills focus on eliminating worker protections
on working hours [[link removed]],
transfer rights, the right to organize unions, collective bargaining,
social assistance funds, pension rights and administration, safety and
health enforcement, unemployment benefits and the system that
sets minimum wages
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which have already become reality.

The rationale behind this effort—that worker rights must be
eliminated to promote economic growth—relies on deeply flawed and
outdated development models. These changes run counter to
international standards that Ukraine previously ratified
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and these modifications are in direct conflict with decisions handed
down by the International Labour Organization that recognize taking
action to confiscate union property as a significant violation of the
freedom of association. The Ukrainian government is aware of
this—having previously lost a similar property confiscation case
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the European Court of Human Rights in 2018. Anti-union legislation
also flies in the face of Ukraine’s stated policy goal of further
integration into the structures and norms of the European Union, where
union coverage has remained high in many nations and workers’ rights
remain strongly protected
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Many of these laws could not pass before the war and are now in motion
only because of Russia’s unprovoked attacks. 

Ukraine’s fight for democracy must take a holistic view. Unions will
be instrumental in rebuilding the country, and Ukraine’s government
cannot go down the path of destroying internationally recognized
worker rights because of the ideological agenda of a few
ultra-free-market, libertarian officials who are using the war to push
their agenda of eliminating unions. Likewise, the war should not be
used as cover for wealthy interests in Ukraine to squeeze more profits
from Ukrainian workers, many of whom are making great sacrifices in
service to their country.

We stand in solidarity with our Ukrainian sisters, brothers and
siblings. But Ukraine cannot become a respected democratic nation if
it continues to destroy the rights of workers and unions.

* Ukraine labor unions
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* Union RIghts
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