[EXPROPRIATION OF KYIV’S TRADE UNION HOUSE] Chronology of a fight

Fight for the Trade Union House in Kyiv. Chronology of events

Source: FPU Press Centre (edited machine translation)

21 May 2025

As we have already reported, the seesaw of justice surrounding the Trade Union House finally swung in favour of the Federation of Trade Unions of Ukraine in May following a decision by the Pechersky District Court, which lifted the seizure of the Trade Union House and the October Palace of the Federation of Trade Unions, imposed back in 2023, and also prohibited the transfer of these assets to the disposal of the ARMA [Asset Recovery and Management Agency] and to the management of the KAMparitet private company with a dubious reputation.

It would seem that legality and justice had prevailed, since these properties have been owned by the Federation of Trade Unions for many years and Ukrainian law guarantees their inviolability. Three years after the seizure, the property remained intact and was even expanded at the expense of the trade unions. However, as it turned out later, it was too early to celebrate victory. On the night of 22 May, a group of unknown individuals attempted to storm the Trade Union House, and only the active resistance of union members and the dissemination of the true story of the illegal act on social media made it possible to repel this attack. On its website, the ARMA angrily accused...who do you think? Of course, the FPU.

3 June 2025 – Day One of the blockade

At 10 a.m., a dozen and a half people with film cameras and armed men show up at the Trade Union House without warning, and address the President of the Federation, demanding that the office be vacated immediately and that the FPU premises be left. At the same time, they show from a distance the decision of the Pechersk District Court that reimposed a seizure on both the Trade Union House and the October Palace. Meanwhile, nervous and indignant affiliates’ staff members made their way to the President’s office, testifying that some people were walking around the offices demanding that they gather their personal belongings and immediately leave the premises. As it turned out, during this operation, the civil security of the House was removed and a the State Security was deployed with orders to let people out of the building and not allow anyone in. Near the square, vehicles with security forces were standing by in case the trade unions again resisted the seizure of their building. Soon, the ARMA website posted the good news that the operation to seize the Trade Union House had been successful and that from now on, all organisations, including the owner of the building, the FPU, occupying the premises would pay rent to a private management company and at least 1.6 million UAH per month to the state. The rent, as previously announced by the management company, will increase tenfold. This is shocking! As is well known, trade unions are non-profit organisations, financed by contributions from union members, which in wartime are mainly directed towards helping the Armed Forces and affected workers and their families. In addition, the government has frozen increases in social guarantees and the minimum wage for 2025-2027, while taxes have risen. But is this information of interest to ARMA?

Meanwhile, the government, as a party to social dialogue with trade unions, remains silent, although every day the FPU, together with other representative trade union associations, reviews its draft laws, resolutions and orders of central executive bodies, European integration measures and plans for the reconstruction of Ukraine, which would comply with human, workers and members' rights.

6 June 2025—Day two of the blockade

On Friday, 6 June, the entrance to the leaders and staff of the Federation of Trade Unions of Ukraine and all-Ukrainian trade unions was blocked by unknown persons who allegedly represented the security of the KAMparitet managing company appointed by the ARMA. Neither arguments nor appeals to common sense worked: the leaders and staff of trade union bodies were not allowed to enter the premises of the Trade Union House or the adjacent territory, for which there is no valid court injunction. A paradoxical situation arose in which those who defend the legal rights of millions of workers themselves became victims of violations of their rights to work.

A police investigation team was called in to document the violations, and the staff filed individual and collective complaints. The FPU legal experts prepared and sent to the Kyiv Court of Appeal a statement on the cancellation of the ruling of the investigating judge of the Pechersky District Court of Kyiv dated 3 June 2025 that reimposed the seizure of the Trade Union House. Discussions were held on other actions to restore legality and justice. Media publications related to these events confirmed that the general public is on the side of the trade unions.

The FPU representatives in the Parliament, Ukrainian MPs Serhii Rudyk and Vadym Ivchenko, joined in resolving the situation and informed Ukrainian Minister of Internal Affairs Ihor Klymenko about the situation with the blocking of the work of the largest public human rights organisation, the FPU.

Grygorii Osovyi, FPU President, and Serhii Rudyk, MP, met Dmytro Shumeiko, head of the Main Directorate of the National Police in Kyiv, to whom they handed over documentary evidence of trade union staff being prevented from entering their workplaces on 6 June for the purpose of initiating criminal proceedings.

The head of the capital's police assured that on 9 June, the police would ensure unhindered access for staff to the Trade Union House. On the same day, a meeting was held with affiliates and negotiations with representatives of the management company and the ARMA to resolve the situation.

During a meeting in Geneva, Vasyl Andreiev, Vice-President of the Federation of Trade Unions of Ukraine and member of the Governing Body of the International Labour Organisation, informed Gilbert F. Ungbo, ILO Director-General, about the blocking of the activities of the Federation of Trade Unions of Ukraine. The seizure of the Trade Union House and the prevention of the staff from accessing their workplaces violates the fundamental right to work and Ukraine's international obligations as a member of the ILO. The trade unions expect an immediate strong response from ILO leadership. The International and European Trade Union Confederations and national trade union confederations in Europe and the United States have been promptly informed and have already expressed their outrage and solidarity with the FPU, sending appeals to the European Union and Ukrainian authorities demanding intervention in the situation.

9 June 2025—Day five of the blockade

Monday, June 9, did not bring the changes expected by the trade unions. Although at 9 a.m. police officers from the Shevchenkivskyi District arrived at the Trade Union House to ensure that members could enter their workplace, their attempt to enter the building, as well as negotiations with unknown individuals behind closed doors, were unsuccessful. No one was allowed into the premises. The police left, and the staff dispersed to wherever they could connect their equipment and somehow resume work with the territorial trade union organisations and provide legal assistance to members.

On the same day, a meeting was held between the FPU leadership and the heads of 37 affiliates that have been located in the Trade Union House since 2019, after its complete renovation by their own efforts following a fire in 2014. Priority actions were discussed and determined, and it was decided to hold a meeting of the FPU Presidium the following day with the participation of all all-Ukrainian trade unions and regional trade union associations, as well as negotiations with representatives of the management company and the ARMA to resolve the situation.

10 June 2025—Day 6 of the blockade

On Tuesday, June 10, the FPU Presidium members were kindly welcomed by the Kyiv City Council of Trade Unions, which provided them with a hall and technical means of communication. Some of the FPU staff also found refuge there.

Angry judgements, heated debates and proposals to resort to radical action prevailed. There was complete incomprehension of how it was possible to be so brazenly evicted from their own building, which was built by the Ukrainian Republican Council of Trade Unions with funds from trade union members in 1975-1980 and rebuilt by the Federation of Trade Unions in 2014-2018 after a fire during the Revolution of Dignity, without any financial participation from the state. And now some private company has taken over the building and wants to charge the owners a hefty rent for the premises. Moreover, together with the ARMA, it decides who to allow to return and who to prevent from returning at all. Guess who? That's right, the Federation of Trade Unions and disloyal trade union organisations. It seems that there is not only a commercial aspect here, but also a political component.

It was decided to send a delegation to negotiations with the ARMA management and representatives of the KAMparitet managing company with the aim of reaching an amicable settlement of the situation. The meeting took place, but several delegates were not allowed into the ARMA office, allegedly on the orders of the management, and there were no negotiations as such. The only message was to “go and resolve your issues with the private management company”. Is the management of the ARMA state agency not familiar with the Ukrainian law “On Trade Unions, their Rights and Guarantees of Activity”, according to which the state promotes the activities of trade unions, and not the other way around? Or maybe it does promote them, but only selectively? Because it turns out that Olena Duma, head of the ARMA state agency, is also the President of a little-known Confederation of Trade Unions whose office, according to the register, is located on the outskirts of the city. And now there is a chance to move with honours to the very centre. And isn't there unhealthy competition with the country's largest trade union association, the FPU? Something very plausible, because recently the public has been sharply criticising the management of the National Agency for shortcomings in its work, and who knows how it will end. And is that why Olena Duma, in the evening United News special programme on 10 June, sharply attacked the FPU, disregarding the facts and misleading the public, in particular by saying that the Trade Union House is state property. For satisfaction, we read the ruling of the Pechersky District Court dated June 3, 2025: “to seize the real estate property located at 2, Maidan Nezalezhnosti, Kyiv (i.e., the Trade Union House) owned by the Federation of Trade Unions of Ukraine”. Did the executor of the court ruling really not know this?

The FPU press service demanded that the management of the My Ukraine TV company provide airtime to allow the presentation of the truthful information. To the credit of the TV company's reputation, this was done.

In accordance with the Presidium's resolution of 10 June 2025, the FPU President sent a letter to Denys Shmyhal, Prime Minister of Ukraine, requesting the Government to intervene in the situation in order to create conditions for the functioning of the Federation of Trade Unions of Ukraine, signatory to the General Agreement and the party to the social dialogue at the national level—given that obstructing its activities damages the image of the state and the performance of its daily social and human rights activities in the interests of millions of workers.

12 and 13 June, 2025—Days eight and nine of the blockade

On 11 June, bilateral consultations began between the FPU, which is the legal proprietor of the Trade Union House, and the KAMparitet managing company, to which the ARMA transferred the management of the property at 2, Maidan Nezalezhnosti. Everything is complicated and unconstructive. Nevertheless, tenants who were in the Trade Union House before the court ruling and confirmed their willingness to renew their lease agreement with the KAMparitet on its terms are gradually returning. Among them are some all-Ukrainian trade unions, affiliates of the Federation of Trade Unions of Ukraine. In response to a letter from the Federation of Trade Unions, the owner of the building, which proposed to preserve jobs for 54 staff members at an acceptable rental price, the reply was something like, “Put them on the waiting list and rent them space if it becomes available”. If this continues, it is likely that the opponents' scenario of separating the FPU leadership and staff from affiliates will be confirmed. The well-known principle is divide and rule. We will soon see why this is being done. After all, the day of the FPU Council meeting is approaching. From another perspective, we will see which “unfriendly” FPU trade unions will settle in the FPU building as if it were their own home.

The Federation of Trade Unions of Ukraine will continue to defend the rights of working people — openly, publicly and legally. Legality and justice are not just words, they are principles that must be upheld in action.

We call on the trade union movement and civil society organisations to unite on these principles of democracy, the rule of law and solidarity!

14 June, 2025—Day 10 of the blockade

On 12 June, a suspicious vehicle had been spotted near the October Palace in Kyiv, along with unknown individuals, CCTV cameras and online devices broadcasting — all of this was discovered just before the Hutsulka Ksenia performance that which was attended by 2,000 spectators.

Yurii Bobiy, Director of the International Centre for Culture and Arts of Trade Unions of Ukraine [located in October Palace] called the police, who conducted a search and found recording and surveillance equipment. The investigation is ongoing. The car and hese devices may become material evidence.

The Palace management is calling on the authorities to assess the situation and ensure the safety of both employees and visitors.

15-16 June, 2025—Days eleven and twelve of the blockade

On 13 June, the FPU urgently appealed to state authorities, MPs, social partners, the public and trade union members with the call “Let’s Defend the Law, Legality and Justice Together”, seeking solidarity and support in connection with the unprecedented attack on our “main human rights organisation”, which represents and protects the labour, social and economic rights of millions of working people and students.

As of 13 June, the situation remains critical, with the FPU staff blocked from accessing their workplaces.

This situation damages the image of Ukraine that courageously defends the freedom and independence of the state and the processes of European integration thart are strongly supported by the trade unions.

On 16 June, Grygorii Osovyi, FPU President, addressed parliamentarians regarding the obstruction of the activities of the Federation of Trade Unions of Ukraine, noting the imperfection of legislation that allows violating property rights, taking any property from trade unions and transferring it to a private company, and evicting the owners,

The seizure of trade union property not only threatens the stability of the trade union movement and the fulfillment of trade unions' human rights and social mission, but also violates the constitutional principles of freedom of association, property rights and social dialogue.

The FPU President appealed to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine to take measures to:

• prevent the escalation of social tensions;
• prevent violations of trade union guarantees;
• ensure an impartial review of the legal grounds for the seizure of trade union property. “I am counting on the responsible position of the MPs as representatives of the nation, to ensure the rule of law, preserve social stability and protect the constitutional rights of citizens,” he said.

Day thirteen of the blockade

On June 16, the FPU President held a meeting with leaders of all-Ukrainian trade unions and trade union associations in Kyiv and Kyiv region regarding the situation surrounding the Trade Union House.

Following the meeting, operational decisions were made to consider it expedient to retain as much as possible the office premises in the Trade Union House (2, Maidan Nezalezhnosti) for the FPU and affiliates staff, by entering entering into negotiations with the KAMparitet managing company to provide substantial lease terms that would take into account that the FPU is the owner of this real estate, and that the FPU Economic Management Facility can provide a range of services to ensure the functioning of the facility and create favourable conditions for work.

At the meeting, candidates were nominated to form a headquarters group for rapid response to threats and challenges and to normalise the situation around the Trade Union House. The first organisational meeting of the FPU HQ group will take place on 18 June 2025.