European Trade Union Committee for Education

On 15 December 2014, ETUCE backed up its Ukrainian member organisation STESU in its protest to the government about foreseen amendments to laws and regulations which have could have turned into a wide reaching threat to the entire Ukrainian education system.

STESU had urged the government to dismiss those antisocial proposals. The teacher union also considered to pool its strengths and to organise protest actions in all their regions. ETUCE addressed strong letters of support to Ukrainian President Petro Poroschenko and Minister of Education and Science Serhiy Kvit appealing to the Ukrainian government to reconsider its reform plans and recommending to open up a constructive social dialogue with STESU instead. According to STESU, the protest has proved first successful results in favour of the Ukrainian teachers' working conditions and against the closure of a number of schools. ETUCE will keep monitoring the developments in Ukraine.