RESOLUTION of the Trade Unions’ All-Ukrainian Action

On 6 July, during the All-Ukrainian Protest March, in connection with the shock increases in gas prices and communal tariffs, trade unions on behalf of millions of Ukrainian workers DEMANDED from the Government, Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine and employers to increase wages proportionally, to settle all wage arrears, to ensure adequate social protection of pensioners, students, just reform of remuneration system to overcome poverty.

Trade unions called on the Government, Parliament and employers to jointly find effective measure to prevent further deterioration of the living standards.
For 5 months of active negotiations, fight for the right of workers to decent life first steps have been made to fulfil trade union demands. The General Agreement has been concluded, a nation-wide social and labour contract to protect workers. National Industry Development Committee has been set up with the participation of the social partners.
On trade unions’ demand the Government has updated the consumer basket and initiated twofold increase in minimum wage to the level of actual living wage, that, if implemented, will pull out of poverty 3.7 million workers and enable general increase in wages.
However, most DEMANDS of the trade unions’ Protest March remained unfulfilled: utility prices and tariffs are growing, outstanding wage arrears exceeded UAH 2 billion, workers’ right to preferential pension provision under List 1 and 2 hasn’t been restored, the draft State Budget 2016 restricts pensions, students’ scholarships, social payments.

WE DEMAND FROM THE VERKHOVNA RADA AND GOVERNMENT OF UKRAINE:
1) To set from 1 January 2017 minimum wage at the real living wage calculated on the basis of an updated “consumer basket”, 3200 UAH, and to provide for relevant expenses in the State Budget 2017.
To take concrete measures to develop effective competitive national production. To decrease tax burden on small and medium business in order to save it.
2) To decrease natural gas price, utility tariffs to the economically justified level taking into account the purchasing power of the population, to ensure transparency and control of the price setting.
3) In wage reforms to ensure just distribution of labour results, to introduce sectoral standards of wages, to ensure implementation of the ILO conventions, European Social Charter. To delete from the draft law No 5130 norms concerning restriction of pay guarantees, students’ scholarship and pension provision, interference in the autonomy of social partners to determine conditions of pay.
4) To provide in the State Budget 2017 for the 1st tariff grade to be set at the level not lower than the minimum wage and for the funds to pay respective wages to 3 million public sector workers.
5) To prevent the erosion of the system of students’ scholarships – every successful student should receive a scholarship.
6) In order to eliminate wage arrears to urgently approve the legislation aimed to strengthen the protection of workers’ economic rights, to set up a special body, a guarantee institution, pursuant to European practice and ILO conventions.
7) To restore by 1 January 2017 the right of tens of thousands of workers employed at jobs with dangerous and harmful conditions to early retirement (Lists 1 and 2).
8) To provide for increase in 2017 in minimum pension to reflect actual living wage, to update previously assigned pensions, to cancel existing restrictions on pensions of those people who continue to work.
9) To restore in 2017 workers’ right to sanatorium treatment and children’s rehabilitation at the account of social insurance fund. To adopt the draft law No 2245 during the current session.
10) To prevent destruction and commercialisation of the health care, closure of hospitals and dismissal of workers, violation of the citizens’ constitutional right to accessible health care.

WE DEMAND FROM AUTHORITIES AND BUSINESS TO CREATE CONDITIONS FOR FULL AND PRODUCTIVE EMPLOYMENT OF THE POPULATION, TO PROVIDE FOR DECENT LIFE OF WORKERS AND THEIR FAMILIES, SOCIAL PROTECTION OF PENSIONERS, VETERANS, STUDENTS.

WE URGE THE GOVERNMENT AND EMPLOYERS TO ENGAGE IN EFFECTIVE SOCIAL DIALOGUE WITH TRADE UNIONS IN ORDER TO DRAMATICALLY INCREASE WAGES FROM 1 JANUARY 2017 AND INTRODUCE EUROPEAN SOCIAL STANDARDS.