On 8 September 2025 Ukraine Solidarity Campaign held a well attended and lively fringe meeting at TUC Congress (the annual conference representing the big majority of UK trade unions) in Brighton. Below is the concluding speech, given by Bev Laidlaw (pictured above), Deputy President of civil service union PCS and member of our steering committee.
The other speakers were Hanna Ostapenko of Ukrainian education workers’ union Progresylni; TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak; Labour member of the Welsh Senedd Mick Antoniw; UCU President-elect Dyfrig Jones; and John McDonnell MP. The chair was Barbara Plant, GMB President.
For our bulletin at TUC Congress, see here.
Good evening everyone. I’m Bev Laidlaw, PCS Deputy President and a member of the USC committee.
I’m honoured to speak today on behalf of PCS Union. At a time when war and occupation threaten the lives and freedoms of millions, our movement must stand firm in its principles: peace, justice, and international solidarity.
Let’s be clear: there can be no talks about Ukraine without Ukraine. Any attempt to negotiate peace without Ukrainian voices at the table is not diplomacy – it’s denial. It’s a denial of their sovereignty, their democracy, and their right to self-determination.
We must reject any narrative that seeks to impose solutions from outside, especially those that ignore the lived reality of Ukrainian workers and communities.
And we must speak out about one of the most horrific aspects of this war: the abduction of Ukrainian children.
Thousands have been forcibly taken to Russia, stripped of their identities, and subjected to indoctrination. This is not just a war crime—it’s a moral outrage.
We demand: Return the children.
Every child must be reunited with their family. Every act of forced deportation must be condemned. And every perpetrator must be held accountable.
In the last 18 months I have been privileged to visit Kyiv twice with PCS. I visited a women and children’s refugee centre, supporting women who had been sexually assaulted and trafficked during the full-scale invasion. I met children who had been rescued the night before from occupied territories – a six-year-old boy told me how he fled in the night, leaving all belongings behind. He said he had hidden a small part of the Ukrainian flag in his pillow away from the Russian soldiers and didn’t have time to get it before fleeing. He said he was one of the lucky ones – now that he was safe, he could keep Ukraine in his heart instead of his pillow.
I also met with both the KVPU and the FPU [Ukraine’s two main trade union federations, the Confederation of Free Trade Unions of Ukraine and the Federation of Unions of Ukraine]. On the last visit, our delegation spent time alongside the ILO discussing workers’ rights – how trade unions from this country could not only support Ukrainian workers but ensure the voices of the workers were heard in the rebuilding of Ukraine, especially when it comes to workers’ rights for all.
Because rebuilding Ukraine must not be left to corporations or contractors – it must be led by workers, for workers. Trade unions must be central to reconstruction, ensuring fair wages, safe conditions, and democratic workplaces. This is not just solidarity – it’s our duty as trade unionists.
Workers must not be sidelined in the name of efficiency or profit. Their rights, their safety, and their voices must shape the future of Ukraine.
But solidarity is more than words – it’s action. And that’s where our trade union movement comes in.
We call on all unions across the UK to get involved with the Ukraine Solidarity Campaign. This is a grassroots initiative that connects UK workers with Ukrainian trade unionists, amplifies their voices, and supports their struggle – not just against invasion, but for a future built on workers’ rights and social justice.
Ukrainian trade unions are not just resisting war – they are resisting deregulation, privatisation, and attacks on labour rights. They are fighting to ensure that Ukraine rebuilds with workers at the heart—not oligarchs, not corporations, but communities and working people.
So how can we all help?
- Affiliate your union and your union branches to the Ukraine Solidarity Campaign. It’s a simple step that sends a powerful message.
- Invite Ukrainian trade unionists to speak at your branch meetings, conferences, and events. Let their voices be heard.
- Campaign for workers’ rights in Ukraine – support legislation that protects collective bargaining, fair wages, and safe working conditions.
- Lobby our government to provide humanitarian aid and reconstruction support that prioritises public services and worker-led recovery.
- And most importantly, build lasting relationships with Ukrainian unions. Solidarity is not a one-off – it’s a commitment.
PCS is proud to stand with Ukraine. We are proud to stand with workers everywhere who fight for peace, dignity, and justice. And we urge every union here today to do the same.
Let us raise our voices until the children are returned. Until Ukraine is free. Until workers shape the future.
Solidarity – and thank you.
Ukraine Solidarity Campaign (Кампанія Солідарності з Україною) 