By UNISON Ukraine Solidarity network

On Thursday 20 June the National Delegate Conference of UNISON, the UK’s largest trade union, voted overwhelmingly for a motion in solidarity with Ukraine and its labour movement (see below for text of motion).

The motion, put forward by the union’s South Lanarkshire and London Fire Brigade branches, was the first time UNISON conference had discussed Ukraine since the full-scale invasion began. About three quarters of delegates voted to back it, with substantially fewer than a quarter voting against.

As well as taking a clear stance in support of Ukraine’s resistance to Russian imperialism, the motion set out practical steps for building solidarity, and committed to affiliation to Ukraine Solidarity Campaign.

UNISON, a general public-sector union, has over a million members in local government, health and a range of other areas. Its conference decision to stand with Ukraine is the latest in a string of union conferences taking a similar stand – but nonetheless extremely important.

For the best part of a year UNISON activists across the country have been organising through the UNISON Ukraine Solidarity network to achieve this result, as well as building links with Ukrainian trade unionists and organising practical solidarity.

We have been strongly supported by UNISON member John McDonnell, one of Ukraine Solidarity Campaign’s founders.

Yurii Pizhuk, General Secretary of the State Employees Union of Ukraine, sent a message of solidarity and appeal for support to the conference.

Delegate proposing and supporting the motion – including two Ukrainians – discussed the humanitarian, physical and environmental devastation inflicted by Russia’s assault; Ukraine’s right to self-determination as an anti-imperialist demand; and the clear call for solidarity against both the invasion and the Ukrainian government’s neoliberal policies coming from Ukraine’s labour movement and left.

Many speakers against the motion focused heavily on criticism of Ukraine Solidarity Campaign. There is no way it can be claimed the conference did not take a clear decision to support us.

In the coming weeks and months Ukraine solidarity activists in UNISON will be organising to ensure the conference decision is carried out energetically, and to redouble efforts to build links with trade unionists and activists in Ukraine.

• Get in touch and help us! Email unisonukrainesolidarity@gmail.com and copy info@ukrainesolidaritycampaign.org

Solidarity with Ukraine and its Labour Movement

Conference notes the devastating damage inflicted since the full scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia in 2022. Ukraine was poor before the war, with a per capita GDP of $3,700 (one third of the poorest EU state); last year GDP fell by 30%. Unemployment is estimated by the IMF to be 19.4 percent.

Six million people (15 percent of the population) have fled Ukraine, five million have been internally displaced.

The Kyiv School of Economics reports (October 2023) that 1,700 secondary schools, 1000 nurseries and 586 higher education institutions have been damaged or destroyed, as have 1,223 medical facilities, including 384 hospitals and 353 pharmacies.

Conference believes the international labour movement has a duty of solidarity with the people of Ukraine, as with all peoples suffering imperialist invasion and oppression, and with its labour movement, fighting both the Russian invasion and the neoliberal policies of the Zelensky government.

Conference strongly endorses the decision of our delegation at TUC Congress last September to vote for the resolution in solidarity with Ukraine and its labour movement, which was passed overwhelmingly.

Conference calls on the National Executive Council:

1) To actively support Ukraine’s struggle for liberation from Russian imperialism; immediate withdrawal of all Russian troops from Ukraine; and the struggles of trade unionists, socialists, etc in Ukraine and Russia for workers’ rights, social provision and democracy as well as Ukraine’s right to self-determination;

2) To organise campaigning on this basis, including:
a) Strengthen links with unions in Ukraine;
b) Provide details of Ukrainian trade unionists who will speak at branch, regional and national events;
c) Holding online and real-world events to educate members about these issues;

3) To affiliate to the Ukraine Solidarity Campaign and encourage branches etc to do likewise.

[See conference document here, p123]

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