KVPU affiliate’s hunger strike: enough is enough

Administration of private joint stock company (PJSC) “Evraz Sukhaya Balka” is reluctant to carry out a civilized dialog with the primary trade union of the Independent Trade Union of Miners of Ukraine (NPGU which is a KVPU affiliation). To demonstrate the protest against the violations of the trade union rights, Alexander Bondar, the Head of the primary trade union announced a hunger strike.

Since long time the administration of the company has not paid back the illegally delayed trade union fees having violated the acting Ukrainian legislation. Also the primary trade union (PTU) can’t get the information necessary for the proper fulfillment of working functions, which, according to the legislation, is a violation, and the administration should, with no delay, submit the requested information.

Among other demands of the leader of the independent trade union there are: establishment of a sound dialog with the PTU, unbiased investigation of accidents at work together with the NPGU technical inspectors, introduction of alterations into the collective agreement regarding the payment of the 13th salary to all workers and if a fatal accident happened with one of the workers, the administration should duly compensate to his relatives (rather than paying out benefits for the high-powered work practice).

In his letter to the Confederation of Free Trade Unions of Ukraine Alexander said: “Mr. Davydov, the Director General of the PJSC takes decisions either on his own or through his assistants, which of the workers should be in our trade union and, consequently, transfers their trade union fees at his discretion. This violates Article 36 of the Constitution of Ukraine and ILO Conventions 87 and 98. This has happened once and again and for us it is enough…”

Further Alexander Bondar noted that Mr. Davydov had violated the collective agreement signed on 23 July 2013. The article 7.1 of this collective agreement says that the General Director or other authorized person shall provide assistance to the activities of the trade union and shall procure equipped premises. Also the agreement stipulates centralized TU fees transfer in timely manner according to the written requests of the trade unionists.

The PTU claimed that the administration had created such conflict situations, having rudely interfered into the internal activity of the trade union and having demonstrated the rejection of it.

/KVPU/