Protecting Workers’ Rights during War and Reconstruction

Trade unions, employers, international partners met in Kyiv to discuss how to protect workers’ rights during and after the war. A specific attention was given to the topic how to contribute to the recovery process of Ukraine after the war.

The workshop was held on the 12-13^th of July in Kyiv, and organized by the joint efforts of the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, ILO, and Ukrainian trade unions – Federation of Trade Unions of Ukraine and Confederation of Trade Unions of Ukraine. Among the participants of the workshop were the heads of the two main Ukrainian trade union federations, 50 trade union leaders from 13 affiliates of the Global Union Federation IndustriALL, representatives from the three main employers’ associations, government representatives, the ILO, and heads of other international organizations,

When the war had begun trade unions changed the direction of their main work on help and assistance for their members. They help in arranging shelters, provide food support for those in need, and continue to help the workers to protect their rights.

Social partners disused the ongoing labour law reform and expressed their concerns about the potential reduction in workers’ protections. Trade Unions also underlined the need for more structured social dialogue and trade union involvement in recovery process after the war.

The participants of the workshop underlined the importance of such events, and meeting of social partners with the international community.