Andriy Khyzhniy is head of the Zaporizhzhia Territorial Trade Union Organisation of the Prydniprovska Railway – part of the Trade Union of Railway & Transport Construction Workers of Ukraine (TURU). Kateryna Izmailova is chair of TURU’s Youth Council. They spoke to Sacha Ismail and Chris Ford in June 2025. Translation by Vitaliy Dudin of Ukrainian socialist organisation Sotsialniy Rukh.

For more on solidarity with rail workers in Ukraine and a link to another interview, with Vyacheslav Fedorenko and Oleksandr Skiba of the VPZU rail union, see here.

Andriy: The area my trade union organisation covers is near the frontline; it includes two big railway hubs that are under Russian occupation. Because of the invasion and occupation and the disruption and destruction caused by them, the organisation has experienced a loss of thousands of members. That includes many who still work on the railway, but have been forced to migrate to other regions, and are now in other sections of the union.

Kateryna: Across Ukraine, TURU has over 180,000 members. We are not part of either the FPU or the KVPU [the two main union federations in Ukraine], but another small federation which is specifically for the transport sector and also includes maritime and aviation workers. I am chair of TURU’s youth council, which organises young workers in a range of educational, volunteering, cultural and solidarity activities.

Andriy: We cooperate with [KVPU-affiliated rail union] VPZU, which organises in pretty much the same territories and same workplaces as us. Their members face the same problems ours do, and when necessary we are ready to act together, to demand better conditions from employers.

How has the role and situation of rail and transport workers in Ukraine changed since the full-scale invasion?

Andriy: Of course the role Ukraine’s railways have played since the full-scale invasion is huge. For instance, in terms of evacuating people from frontline regions, and in very harsh conditions, where for instance carriages designed to carry 40 people had more than double that. At the same time the railway plays a big role in transportation of military equipment to the frontline, to cities like Pavlohrad and Kramatorsk; transportation of soldiers back and forth; and even of prisoners of war for exchange. The work of the railways is closely integrated with Ukraine’s military mobilisation.

All of this functions virtually uninterruptedly: but that is only possible because workers are very committed to protecting their country, and so ready to take on such a massive workload.

Then at the same time, of course, the railways are a major target for the invaders, particularly because of their connections to the energy system and other essential infrastructure. They are continually attacked with missiles and drones. The risk for railway workers is higher than for many other parts of the population.

And at the same time, it is of course necessary for rail workers to pay close attention to safety on the railways, and in the conditions of war this much more arduous and complicated. We have to check for threats of attacks, for damage to systems and equipment, for mines, for signs of sabotage and terrorist activity, and much more. In Zaporizhzhia region, for instance, the issue of checking sabotage has become a major one. If we don’t do this the consequences for both workers and passengers could be terrible.

The result of this is enormously increased pressure and risk on the shoulders of railway workers; yet at the same time our government is taking measures that adversely affect our terms and conditions while promoting market reforms on the railways, measures that our union is opposing. So there is a very great need for support and solidarity.

Can you say something more about these negative changes to rail workers’ terms and conditions?

Andriy: A law passed soon after the full-scale invasion made it possible for employers on ‘critical infrastructure projects’ to prolong working hours beyond the agreed norm. So instead of a 40 hour working week, some rail workers were doing a 60 hour working week. We have fought to reinstate the 40 hour week, which is particularly important in the context of more difficult, intense and dangerous work.

Then on the other hand there is an issue of people being put on so-called administrative leave, without payment, for periods of time. And this is implemented in a highly selective and discriminatory manner.

We also had to organise to try to stop the employer dismissing people who, for one reason or another connected to the war, were not working on our railway, but might well return to their jobs at some point.

Vitaliy: I would add to this the more general weakening of workers’ rights and of unions’ ability to protect them by the Ukrainian government since the full-scale invasion. This affects all workers.

Kateryna: Additionally, although privatisation plans have been put on hold, we are still undergoing reforms that I would call ‘corporatisation’, making our publicly owned railway function more like a private company, according to market imperatives. This suggests that privatisation will return after the war.

Andriy: Despite this reality I would not say, on our regional level at least, that the unions have become less influential or vocal. Despite all the difficulties and the drop in membership, our influence is rather strong. At a national level, while the situation is difficult, I would say the unions are stronger than in 2023.

Kateryna: Many unions have learnt to use a variety of different campaigning tools at a time when strikes and large-scale demonstrations are not possible.

At the annual conference of our rail workers’ union RMT, which meets next week, there is a motion calling for an end to military aid to Ukraine, suggesting that this will bring peace. What would you say to the delegates who will debate and vote on this motion? [Unfortunately in the event, this motion passed – on the chair’s casting vote! More here.]

Kateryna: Working-class people in Ukraine understand that, when Putin will not even respect the ceasefire he proposed, we cannot expect meaningful peace from the Kremlin. They do not comply with their own promises and the outcomes of negotiation.

Andriy: Yes. Railway workers need peace, but we reject the interpretation of ‘peace’ that would see the occupation of Ukraine, depriving us of our national independence, which is what an end to arms supplies would mean.

On the ground, it will mean a terrible escalation of the appalling conditions in which our workers continue to work, along with an increased threat to our lives and the very existence of our country. It will end the war not in reality but only in people’s imagination.

This is not peace. Appeasement of the aggressor means giving them impunity. The cost of impunity is too high, not only for the Ukrainian people but for the security of all peoples and the whole world.

Appeasement of the dictator who is the aggressor means the preparation of future wars, including against other countries in Europe.

As Ukrainians, we live under constant fear of Russian attacks. Since the start of 2025, there have been over 20,000 missile and drone strikes. It shows the scale of the Kremlin’s anger towards the Ukrainian people; and it shows that Putin is not currently interested in peace.

Since the first days of the invasion, the people of Ukraine have fought courageously. Many have been driven from their homes and do not know when they will be able to return.

We very much welcome the support we have received from workers in the UK and other countries. Obviously we do not want positions that undermine our fight for freedom.

Those arguing against aid for Ukraine need to understand that defeat for Ukraine would mean the defeat of democracy, the victory of dictatorship in the world. It is not only about the national independence of Ukraine, but this wider principle.

Thank you. What kind of solidarity have you had from outside Ukraine, including from rail workers and their unions? What kind of solidarity do you want?

Andriy: Because of the war, because of the underfunding of our railways and other issues, our workers and our movement have many needs, and support from the international trade union movement has been invaluable.

In the first stage of the war it helped us respond rapidly to the dangers we faced. For instance, we received essential support from a transport workers’ union in Romania to facilitate the evacuation of people from Zaporizhzhia to Romanian cities, and from there to other EU countries. They also helped us with the importation of food, medication and other emergency supplies for the workers of territories impacted by the war.

Unions in other countries have also helped us, for instance, with helmets and protective equipment.

Such physical aid continues to be very important and is appreciated. At the same time we also need to consider help for sustaining the physical and psychological health and wellbeing of rail workers and their families, who are working and living under extreme pressure. Please bear in mind that in some parts of Ukraine nurseries and schools are closed, and so workers have to bring their children to work with them. It’s terrible, but people have no other option.

All these factors make possibilities for some rest and rehabilitation extremely important. This is something we should discuss and investigate.

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