The Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Russia and all its affiliated organisations have been watching with extreme pain and anxiety the tragic events that began in Kiev and have now spread across the territory of Ukraine.
We strongly condemn the actions of the parties to the conflict, which have led to the loss of lives, and mourn those who died in fratricidal confrontations.
As a result of the extremist actions, the Trade Union House in Kiev was completely gutted by fire destroying the infrastructure and documents thus paralysing normal union activity on the protection of social interests and rights of the working people at this anxious time.
In the face of continued instability every effort must be made to preserve the working efficiency of trade unions. We voice our unreserved support for the Ukrainian trade unions and encourage the international trade union community to express its fraternal solidarity.
We urge those who have come to power in Ukraine not to go beyond the limits of a civilized society, to keep strictly within the bounds of law, to stop the ongoing violence and restore order in the country. True democracy cannot be built by undemocratic methods that infringe the rights and hurt the feelings of a substantial part of the population of a large and diverse country. Aggressive obtrusion of preconceived convictions on other citizens, including demolition of the monuments that commemorate a long common history, does not do any credit to those who have proclaimed their striving for European integration.
We sincerely rely upon an early and peaceful resolution of political crisis and normalization of the situation in Ukraine in the interests of the working people of that country.
We place emphasis on the fact that economic recovery and the future development is impossible without a constructive dialogue with trade unions.
