An International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) delegation led by General Secretary Luc Triangle has been in Ukraine to reaffirm the global trade union movement’s support of workers and their unions in the country.
The group included Christy Hoffman (General Secretary UNI-Global Union), Atle Hoie (General Secretary, IndustriALL Global Union) and Paul Nowak (General Secretary TUC-UK).
Luc Triangle said: “We are in Ukraine to reaffirm that we all stand in full solidarity with the Ukrainian people. The brutal and illegal invasion by Russia can never be justified, and we condemn this aggression, the violence and the killings in the strongest possible terms.
“In this context, the efforts of the Ukrainian unions to provide vital humanitarian support have been amazing. They stand as pillars of resilience and hope, organising crucial assistance. We stand by their side in their fight for freedom, justice and democracy.
As a show of solidarity for workers risking their lives daily, the delegation visited a power plant severely damaged by a Russian missile strike where they met workers and their union representatives. Luc Triangle commented: “What happened here is a clear example of targeting essential infrastructure and making daily life more difficult. Working people in Ukraine and their unions are making extraordinary efforts.
These frequent attacks on workplaces increase the need for psycho-social aid to workers and people. To hear what the war means to them and their members, and discuss their concerns about new government labour legislation, Tre delegation met with delegates from the two ITUC Ukrainian affiliates, the FPU and the KVPU.
The ITUC regrets and has voiced strong objections against the Ukrainian government’s exploitation of martial law to impose policies that undermine basic worker and trade union rights. These changes include undermining collective bargaining, fewer protections in the hiring and firing process, and disruption to social dialogue processes.
The delegation met with senior politicians at the parliament to discuss these issues , including Oleksandr Kornienko (First Deputy Chairman of the Verkhova Rada (Parliament)) and Yulia Tymoshenko (Former Prime Minister, current leader of the opposition).
