FEDERATION OF TRADE UNIONS OF UKRAINE, ITS AFFILIATES PROVIDE ASSISTANCE TO VICTIMS OF RUSSIAN ARMED AGGRESSION

For over 8 months, Ukraine has been heroically resisting the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation. The invaders destroy our companies, infrastructure facilities, shell residential areas, torture and kill Ukrainians. In conditions of aggressive hostilities, the life of Ukrainian people has significantly deteriorated. Many thousands of Ukrainian citizens were left without work, without a roof over their heads, forced to leave their permanent place of residence, so trade union organisations had to change forms, methods and directions of their work

FPU HUMANITARIAN HEADQUARTERS ACTIVITIES

The FPU Humanitarian Headquarters focused its activities on helping victims and searching for grant funds. 9 meetings were held, at which more than 60 issues were considered and decided. In addition, a number of organisational issues were settled.

FIGURES:

Financial assistance for 3.9 million UAH was provided to trade union members by decisions of the FPU Headquarters.

In addition, financial assistance for statutory activities was provided to territorial trade unions of Mykolaiv, Donetsk, Chernihiv, Luhansk regions, in total 400,000 UAH. 1,700,000 UAH were allocated for repair and restoration of damaged buildings of territorial trade unions of Mykolaiv, Kharkiv, Donetsk and Chernihiv regions, in particular the Palace of Labour of Kharkiv Trade Union Association – 850,000 UAH, the building of Federation of Trade Union Organisations of Chernihiv region – 550,000 UAH.

In order to establish logistics for receipt, distribution and further shipment of humanitarian cargo received by the FPU, a trade union humanitarian hub was created at the administrative building of Ukrprofozdorovnytsia PJSC, headed by Vasyl Khvostikov, President of Kyiv Regional Council of Trade Unions. According to a decision of the FPU Headquarters, humanitarian aid for the affected trade union members was provided in the form of food packages. The FPU formed 3,784 such humanitarian packages, which were received, in particular, by territorial trade unions of Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia, Kyiv, Mykolaiv, Poltava, Kharkiv, Chernihiv regions; all-Ukrainian trade unions of workers of agriculture, coal industry, space and general engineering, aircraft construction, defence industry, sportsmen, etc.

During July-September, the Headquarters members headed by Grygorii Osovyi,  FPU President, visited Chernihiv, Kharkiv, Poltava, Zaporizhzhya, Dnipropetrovsk and Mykolaiv regions with a charitable mission, where more than 10 tons of humanitarian aid were handed over to the labor collectives of companies. The delegation members met with internally displaced persons, most of whom are elderly people, mothers with children, who now live in trade union sanatoriums.

Based on available resources accumulated in the Solidarity Fund and received by the FPU as humanitarian aid from partners from Western countries, in particular the ITUC and the ETUC, the American Federation of Labor, etc. Relevant information from trade union organisations was collected and summarised, criteria for providing financial assistance to trade union members were determined. It is received by:

● first of all, families who lost family members died during the war, disappeared or were taken prisoner;

● trade union members who suffered physical injuries as a result of bombing of settlements and need treatment;

● those who lost their homes because of the war, or they were damaged by shelling and are unfit for living;

● workers who suffered as a result of hostilities while performing their official duties, in particular those working in railway, energy, housing and communal services, at production facilities of civilian infrastructure that are bombed by the enemy, etc.

SUPPORT OF UKRPROFOZDOROVNYTSIA AND UKRPROFPUR TO IDPs

During the period of martial law, the FPU together with Ukrprofozdorovnytsia PJSC, Ukrproftur PJSC and other business entities provided support to internally displaced persons who were accommodated in trade union sanatoriums, hotels, dormitories, tourist bases, etc.

IN TERMS OF NUMBERS:

Up to 6,000 IDPs stay daily in 34 trade union sanatoriums, hotels and boarding houses. 1,200 of them receive food, accommodation and health services at the expense of trade unions.

41,285,792.60 UAH is the total amount of monetary and humanitarian aid received by sanatoriums and resorts to finance accommodation and food services provided free of charge to IDPs (from the beginning of the full-scale war until 8 September 2022).

More than 22,000 people were admitted to institutions of Ukrprofozdorovnytsia PJSC for the period from 24 February to 8 September 2022, which amounted to 845,000 person-days, of which 12,000 people were accommodated free of charge, or 406,000 person-days.

2,110 beds were deployed at facilities of Ukrproftur PJSC to accommodate IDPs under martial law. For the total amount of 35,776,000 UAH, or 89,441 person-days, accommodation services were provided by the business entities of Ukrproftur PJSC system, of which 35,926 person-days for the total amount of 14,370,000 UAH in the form of free shelter for IDPs, trade union members, refugees at the expense of financial assistance of the FPU and funds of Ukrproftur PJSC.

Support to IDPs was carried out mainly within the framework of grant agreements with Danish Trade Union Development Agency and Corus International charitable foundation. Thus, at the expense of Corus International within 3 months the grant agreement “Emergency Response to Ukrainian  Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs)” as a result of military actions of the Russian Federation against Ukraine was implemented and the services of sanatoriums of Ukrprofozdorovnytsia PJSC on accommodation and catering of IDPs in the amount of more than 1 million USD were financed (1,005,596.10 USD).

Also, within the framework of cooperation between the FPU and Corus International charitable foundation, humanitarian aid in the form of towels, blankets, soap, school kits, child care kits was provided to the most affected trade union members in Kharkiv, Chernihiv, Poltava regions, as well as to IDPs who are in public sector institutions in Zakarpattia region.

Taking into account the large number of IDPs staying in trade union sanatoriums, the agreement with the Corus International charitable foundation for USD was extended. Implementation period is until 31 March 2023. The agreement provides funding for accommodation and one-time meals for IDPs at trade union facilities of Ukrprofozdorovnytsia PJSC: Berezivski Mineralni Vody Sanatorium SE, Roshcha Clinical Sanatorium SE, Poliana Sanatorium SE, Khmilnyk Clinical Sanatorium SE, Morshynkurort Sanatorium SE, Liubin Velykyi Sanatorium SE, as well as providing them with humanitarian aid.

The Memorandum Solidarity: Emergency Situation and Solidarity with the People of Ukraine  was signed with the the General Italian Confederation of Labour and NGOs of the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy to provide assistance to IDPs. Thanks to this partnership, 70 IDPs from the war zone had the opportunity to rest and recuperate free of charge for 2 weeks in Shatski Ozera Boarding House of Volynturyst PJSC.

Negotiations on extension of the agreement between the FPU Headquarters on humanitarian aid and Danish Trade Union Development Agency “Ukrainian Trade Unions Help Internally Displaced Persons Affected by the War” are ongoing.

International organisations also provide assistance to the FPU. In particular, a grant agreement was concluded with the International Labour Organization for 20,000 USD. Implementation period is until 10 October 2022. The agreement provides support for the stay of IDPs in Goryn Sanatorium, financial assistance to Association of Trade Unions of Kharkiv Region, the Federation of Trade Unions of Chernihiv region, Kyiv Regional Council of Trade Unions. To meet logistical needs and transportation of humanitarian goods the FPU received two vehicles: Renault Trafic minibus from French trade unions and Fiat Ducato from Italian trade unions.

Considerable attention was paid to strengthening material and technical base of trade union training centers. Thus, a decision of the FPU Presidium provided irrevocable financial assistance to the Federation of Trade Union Organisations of Chernihiv Region for the restoration of the training Centre in the amount of 250,000 UAH at the expense of Danish Trade Union Development Agency project, as well as to the Zonal Training Centre of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional Association of Trade Unions under a grant agreement with the ILO.

In accordance with the decision of the FPU Headquarters on humanitarian aid, financial assistance was provided to trade union activists who suffered from the armed aggression at the expense of funds accumulated in the FPU Solidarity Fund and financial assistance from the International Trade Union Confederation and the European Trade Union Confederation in the amount of 2,925,000 UAH by transferring them to bank accounts of all-Ukrainian trade unions.

SECTORAL AND REGIONAL LEVEL

All-Ukrainian trade unions and territorial trade unions also provide assistance to IDPs and affected persons, financial support to the Armed Forces and territorial defence units.

The Central Council of Automobile and Agricultural Machinery Workers’ Union of Ukraine provided financial assistance to trade unions working with IDPs and victims for 456,900 UAH at the expense of raised funds.

The Central Committee, territorial and primary organisations of Coal Industry Workers’ Union of Ukraine, at the expense of available financial and material resources, using funds transferred by industrial companies to trade union organisations in accordance with collective agreements for cultural, recreational and social protection of workers, as well as assistance from international organisations and funds, transferred funds to trade union members – IDPs and victims of hostilities, for personal needs related to related to their life support, as well as to business entities and relevant trade union bodies to ensure functioning of relevant infrastructure for IDPs in the total amount of 4,763,200 UAH.

The Central Committee of Geology, Geodesy and Cartography Workers’ Union of Ukraine provided assistance in finding housing to trade union members who were forced to leave their permanent place of residence due to hostilities. The Union’s Central Committee submitted proposals to the FPU on payment of one-time assistance at the expense of the FPU Solidarity Fund and financial assistance from the European Trade Union Confederation to 16 victims – trade union members.

Most trade union organisations of Housing, Local Industry, Consumer Services Workers’ Union of Ukraine found an opportunity to transfer more than 2,000,000 UAH for the needs of the Armed Forces. The Union’s regional committees led the volunteer movement to help the army: they involved trade union members in weaving camouflage nets, knitting socks and making “kikimoras”, military ammunition and body armor, anti-tank hedgehogs, incendiary mixture, food procurement, etc. Trade unions of several municipal companies organised free meals for soldiers of territorial defence in their canteens. Sectoral companies donated all-terrain vehicles, trucks, cranes, excavators, generators and other equipment and machinery necessary for the frontline. Moreover, the labour collectives provided assistance with funds, pumps and other technical means to the economic entities of the municipal sphere, which suffered the greatest destruction from shelling of the racists, namely Kharkiv, Sumy, Chernihiv, Kyiv and Mykolaiv regions. The Union established a special solidarity fund to provide assistance to trade unions that suffered the greatest losses during the war and need support.

The trade union organisations of Communications Workers’ Union of Ukraine are working on financial support of trade union members who found themselves in a difficult situation because of the armed aggression of Russia, as well as financial assistance to the Armed Forces and other formations involved in defence of the country. In addition, the accounts of the united trade union organisations of Ukrposhta and Ukrtelekom received funds from the Japan Post Group Trade Union and Japan Telecommunication Industry Trade Union. The funds received were used to provide assistance to the affected union members. The total amount of assistance provided to trade union members and the Armed Forces is 1,243,930 UAH. In addition to financial support, trade union organisations are engaged in placement of colleagues from the affected regions and their employment at companies of the industry.

The Metallurgists and Miners’ Union of Ukraine spent 100,000 UAH for financial assistance to business entities that work with IDPs, costs of trade union organisations for payments to victims of Russian aggression amounted to 554,500 UAH.

The Federation of Trade Unions of Vinnytsia Region, its member organisations, trade union activists from the first days of the war actively joined the support of the Armed Forces, territorial defence, humanitarian aid to temporarily displaced persons, families of trade unionists who suffered from the hostilities. By decision of the FTU Presidium, a fundraising was organized to the FTU Union Charity Fund, which received 446,335 UAH of financial assistance from trade union organisations of all levels, and today funds continue to be received. The funds were directed to help the soldiers of the Armed Forces and territorial defence, who are being treated after being wounded in medical institutions of Vinnytsia. Medicines, medical supplies, food and clothing were purchased.

Since the beginning of the full-scale aggression of Russia, trade unionists of Vinnytsia region have provided financial and humanitarian assistance to the Armed Forces, territorial defence, victims and families of the killed trade unionists, IDPs for 20,000,000 UAH.

The Federation of Trade Unions of Volyn Region and its member organisations provide assistance to IDPs and victims, as well as to trade union members whose relatives were injured and need treatment. Funds were raised and financial assistance was provided in the amount of 5,060,222 UAH. The FTU constantly provides financial and humanitarian assistance to the soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, who perform tasks in the combat zone.

The executive staffs of Poltava Regional Council of Trade Unions and its member organisations have repeatedly transferred their daily earnings to account of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

INSET:

The Regional Trade Union Council provided the soldier of territorial defence Roman Prokopenko, Vice-President of Poltava Regional Trade Union Council, who has been in the local territorial defence unit since the first days of the war, with high-quality equipment.

Constant patronage support of one of the Poltava territorial defence units with baking, sanitary and hygienic products, etc. is organised. The regional trade union helps refugees from the temporarily occupied territories and combat areas, which are now officially registered in the region about 200,000, mainly from Kharkiv and region, Luhansk and Donetsk regions.

Since 24 February, the Federation of Trade Unions of Rivne Region has been operating a humanitarian headquarters, which accumulates appeals on needs of the military, as well as evacuees from the war zone. The amount of humanitarian aid is 14,288,008 UAH, including assistance to IDPs for this period amounted to 1,898,400 UAH.

All IDPs live in Goryn Sanatorium free of charge thanks to the help of trade union organisations of all levels, volunteers, sponsors and caring people.

Unfortunately, the state does not reimburse trade union health institutions for  payment of utilities, as it is provided for state companies and organisations that accommodate temporarily displaced persons during martial law. Therefore, the Regional Trade Union Council of Rivne Region addressed the Government, people’s deputies, regional military administration, regional council, Stepanska territorial community with the issue of reimbursement of utilities for the trade union sanatorium.

The Ternopil Regional Council of Trade Unions, regional sectoral and primary trade union organisations continue to provide assistance to IDPs and affected persons, financial support to the units of the Armed Forces and territorial defence. During the period from June to August, the regional trade union organisations provided assistance to victims of armed aggression for UAH, and 19,200,000 UAH to IDPs. In addition, since the beginning of hostilities, the Regional Trade Union Council actively cooperates with the public community of volunteers Bunker C, providing it with free premises on the first floor of the Trade Union House for volunteer activities.

Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the trade union organisations of Federation of Trade Unions of Khmelnytskyi Region have transferred more than 5,000,000 UAH of trade union funds for the needs of the Armed Forces and territorial defence. Trade union payments, targeted charitable assistance is provided to the victims of armed aggression, called up for military service, participants of territorial defence, wounded soldiers, internally displaced persons who have lost their homes, property and jobs, from settlements where active hostilities continue. Financial assistance for burial is provided to the families of those killed in the war with Russia. It was decided to transfer one day’s wage to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

All member organisations joined preparation of food, preservation, purchase of protective equipment for soldiers of the Armed Forces, territorial defence, assistance to wounded soldiers in hospitals, reception of IDPs. Educational and cultural institutions, territorial centres, rehabilitation centres for children, boarding schools have become centres of reception of IDPs from the regions where active hostilities continue. The institutions work around the clock, social workers and volunteers are on duty.

In Kamyanets-Podilskyi, together with the Central Committee of Builders Union and the European Representative Office of the Building and Woodworkers’ International (BWI), washing machines, hygiene products and food packages were delivered to more than 400 IDPs accommodated at educational institutions of construction industry.

The Chernivtsi Regional Council of Trade Unions, its affiliated organisations actively joined nationwide support of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, providing our military with all possible financial assistance, as well as assistance to trade unionists and their families affected by the disruptive aggression, in temporary accommodation in hotels, private homes, providing food, medicines and other essentials, employment of internally displaced persons.

The Regional Trade Union Council at its own expense provided financial assistance to 10 IDPs, trade union members, employed at companies of the region in the total amount of 25,500 UAH, three trade union activists – In the amount of 4,500 UAH. The work on providing humanitarian aid to trade union bodies of the regions affected by the armed aggression of Russia continue. In particular, 20,000 UAH were allocated to the Kyiv Regional Council of Trade Unions for implementation of statutory activities, 10,000 UAH for the purchase of medicines, as well as 5,000 UAH for restoration of the Palace of Labour of Association of Trade Unions of Kharkiv Region. The member organisations of Regional Trade Union Council provided financial assistance to IDPs and victims of armed aggression, trade unionists and activists for UAH, to sectoral trade union bodies of other regions  in the amount of 45,000 UAH, and 15,000 UAH for restoration of the Palace of Labour of Association of Trade Unions of Kharkiv Region.

WHERE LIFE IS BEING REVIVED

Since the beginning of the armed aggression of Russia, the Kyiv Regional Council of Trade Unions has been providing humanitarian and financial assistance to trade union members and affected residents of Kyiv region who found themselves in a difficult social and financial situation. The regional trade union council has established cooperation with Danish NGOs UAID and CopenAid and the Embassy of Ukraine in Denmark, which provide charitable assistance in the form of long-term storage products, personal hygiene products, diapers for children and adults, etc. Also, the Regional Council of Trade Unions, its member organisations received assistance from the International Trade Union Association of Food, Tobacco, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering and Allied Workers (IUF), the Trade Union of Agriculture, Trade and Industry Workers of Georgia, volunteers from Canada, the Federation of Trade Unions of Rivne Region, the Chernivtsi Regional Council of Trade Unions, the primary trade union organisation of Chernivtsi National University, colleagues trade unionists from Rivne region.

Currently, with the assistance of the International Trade Union Association of Food, Tobacco, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering and Allied Workers’ Associations (IUF), food packages are being prepared for trade union members in Kyiv region who were under occupation. With support of the Humanitarian Association VanForLife, the trade unions of Kyiv region received a cargo van for logistics needs. Also, the Kyiv Regional Trade Union continues to cooperate with the State Employees’ Union of Ukraine, the Labor Initiatives NGO and the Youth Council of Railway Workers’ = Union within the framework of the Trade Union Lifeline public movement. In particular, a project on psychological rehabilitation of servicemen and their families is being implemented, support is provided to the Armed Forces with food, medicines, hygiene products.

The affiliated organisations of the Kyiv Regional Council of Trade Unions constantly provide financial assistance to the families of those killed and injured as a result of the armed aggression of Russia. In general, during the reporting period, trade union organisations of Kyiv region provided assistance to trade union members for 1,827,685 UAH, and 1,510,570 UAH for needs of the Armed Forces.

Taking into account the high risks for women and children to become victims of human trafficking abroad, the Kyiv Regional Council of Trade Unions together with the ILO and the Trade Union of Ukrzaliznytsia launched an information campaign aimed at preventing human trafficking of people fleeing from the war abroad. In Intercity trains, videos with information on combating human trafficking are broadcast on the screens, and relevant posters are placed in vestibules of passenger trains. The information campaign started on 4 April 2022 and will continue until our Victory.

The Sumy Regional Organisation of the Education and Science Employee’s Union of Ukraine provided assistance to 156 trade union members whose property was destroyed and damaged in the amount of 720,000 UAH. Maximum assistance in some cases was 20,000 UAH. 17 families of trade union members, whose members were killed or wounded as a result of hostilities, received 80,000 UAH. Victims of the armed aggression, primarily families with many children and families with infants, were provided with food packages for the total amount of 298,000 UAH in the cities of Okhtyrka, Trostianets, Lebedyn, Sumy, Buryn. In total, 1,879,000 UAH of trade union funds were spent on assistance, including 687,460 UAH by the Sumy Regional Organisation of the Education and Science Employee’s Union of Ukraine.

Trade union organisations, trade union members are actively engaged in charitable and volunteer activities: they transfer things to refugees, help in organising food for soldiers, unload, pack humanitarian aid, weave camouflage nets. At the initiative of primary trade union organisations, charitable funds are created, the funds of which are spent on purchase of cars for the military, radios, drones, food, fuel, first aid kits, thermal imagers, sleeping bags, mattresses, hygiene products, dishes, binoculars, socks, raincoats, shovels, etc. Educators handed over to hospital underwear for wounded, sewed vests for soldiers, were engaged in transportation of humanitarian aid, arranged shelters. Charitable assistance was provided to teachers – non-working pensioners, food packages to the staff of regional branch organisations of trade unions, regional council of trade unions, trade union pensioners.