9th Congress of the Trade Union of Education and Science Workers of Ukraine
Published:
On 17 December 2020, the 9th Congress of the Trade Union of Education and Science Workers of Ukraine took place. More than 160 participants joined the online event.
TUESWU President Georgiy Trukhanov evaluated the union’s activities of the past five years and outlined the future priorities. He emphasised that the trade union’s activities had been carried out in the context of the evolving social and political life, the financial crisis, economic instability and the COVID-19 pandemic. Highlighting the joint trade union actions and thanking Education International and ETUCE for their international solidarity support, TUESWU had succeeded in preventing the adoption of a number of draft laws aimed at restricting existing rights of education workers and of trade unions. More than 20 mass protest actions had been organised during the reporting period.
The TUESWU President notified that due to TUESWU’s persistence salaries of education workers had been increased nine times in the reporting period and the union had managed to prevent the closure of more than 3,400 schools saving the employment of 20,000 teachers.
TUESWU President Georgiy Trukhanov said “We understand the situation in the country, but we believe that the Government shouldn’t make savings on education. Financing education is an investment in the future of the state, in development and innovation, which cannot be secured at the expense of teachers.”
Congress delegates raised many pressing issues, including underfinancing of the sector, prevention of the adoption of antisocial legislation and the trade union renewal.
After a lively discussion, the Congress approved the five-year report and defined the main directions of activity of the Trade Union of Education and Science of Ukraine for the next Congress period 2021-2025. The delegates also adopted statements to the government regarding the rights of teachers and other education personnel, related to the salary increase and the compulsory state coronavirus insurance for teachers and other education personnel.
ETUCE congratulates Mr Georgiy Trukhanov President of the Trade Union of Education and Science Workers of Ukraine as well as Mr Liubov Garbarenko and Mr Serhiy Romaniuk, Vice-Presidents on their re-election as well as the three newly elected voluntary vice-presidents : Mr Serhiy Puhachev (Head of Vinnitsa Regional Committee of the trade union), Mr Volodymyr Tsvykh (head of the trade union organisation at the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv) and Olha Chabaniuk, responsible for the work with youth.