Date

June 15, 2025

Author

Social Movement

NOTE: Speeches in the Ukrainian parliament (Verkhovna Rada) on this issue here

Trade Union House – rally in defence of labour rights and trade union rights

Source: FPU facebook page, edited machine translation

On 19 June, a large rally was held in front of the Trade Union House in Kyiv on Independence Square in defence of the rights of trade unions and the labour rights of workers belonging to the Federation of Trade Unions of Ukraine (FPU) and its member organisations.

This peaceful gathering was aimed at finding a fair solution to the issue of the Trade Union House, which had been seized by the private company KAMparitet. The participants demanded that the building be returned to its rightful owner, the Federation of Trade Unions of Ukraine.

They held banners reading: ‘The truth is with us, Hands off people's property, Give us back what is ours, President, listen to the trade unions, Respect the military.’

A large number of police were present at the scene. Repeated attempts by employees to get to their workplaces were in vain, as the new security guards in the building, protected by the police, did not respond in any way.

A significant number of people who came to the walls of the building were members of the All-Ukrainian Trade Union of Defenders of Ukraine, athletes and workers from various sectors. These are military personnel, veterans, and soldiers with combat injuries and disabilities.

In the absence of an office, they sat on the steps on the backs of their comrades, wrote applications for financial assistance, and expressed their outrage that, despite their self-sacrifice for the country, they were left unable to do their jobs without access to their workplace.

The participants held an impromptu rally near the central entrance on the steps of the Trade Union House, where speeches were made by FPU Deputy Chairman Yevgen Drapyaty, Serhiy Byzov, chairman of the All-Ukrainian Trade Union of Defenders of Ukraine, Athletes and Workers, Nataliya Zemlyanska, chairwoman of the All-Ukrainian Trade Union of Industrial Workers and Entrepreneurs of Ukraine, Nadiya Korinna, chairwoman of the All-Ukrainian Trade Union of Lawyers of Ukraine, and workers who were unable to get to their workplaces.

The speakers expressed their outrage at the actions of the ARMA, the forceful seizure of the building by the company ‘KAMparitet,’ and the violation of the constitutional rights of trade unions and workers. The protesters called for an immediate end to the illegal actions against the Trade Union House and for the restoration of free access to the building.

Racketeering in the trade union building

June 12 statement by Social Movement (edited machine translation) On 6 June, events took place at the Trade Union House in Kyiv that can hardly be called normal for a state governed by the rule of law. In the morning, representatives of ARMA (the The National Agency of Ukraine for Finding, Tracing and Managing Assets Derived from Corruption and Other Crimes — ed.) broke into the building together with employees of the newly appointed ‘property manager’ — the UK KAMparitet consortium.

This company is involved in a high-profile corruption investigation, which proves the connection between the new owners of the assets and Minister of Justice Stefaniishyna. In less than a year, KAMparitet won four tenders for the management of seized property — more than a third of all tenders held by ARMA.

Employees of the Federation of Trade Unions of Ukraine were given an ultimatum: either sign contracts with the new manager within three days or leave the premises. Access to workplaces was blocked by unknown individuals of athletic build. People who went out for a break were not even allowed to retrieve their personal belongings. Journalists were only allowed in after prolonged resistance.

Trade union activist Natalia Zemlyanska was also injured — she was pushed, fell and injured her leg. Soon after, MP Serhiy Rudyk, who has a public reception office here, arrived at the building. He was also initially denied entry.

The events at the Trade Union House once again raise the question of who is actually in charge of the seized property in the country and in whose interests they are acting. In addition to clear signs of raiding, the Social Movement considers this to be political pressure on trade union representation and another alarming sign of increasing repression against organised labour initiatives. Attention FPU activists!

We are ready to provide you with assistance that will allow you to continue the fight to defend the labour rights of working people.

Urgent EU action needed following seizure of trade union assets by Ukrainian government

The following letter was sent by European Trade Union Confederation General Secretary Ester Lynch to Roxana Mînzatu, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission and to Marta Kos, EU Commissioner for Enlargement.

June 11, 2025

Dear Vice-President Minzatu and Commissioner Kos,

We are writing to ask the Commission support to defend trade union rights in Ukraine – following the unjustified seizure of trade union offices of FPU, the biggest trade union confederation in Ukraine and ETUC affiliate.

On the 5 June 2025, the Trade Union House was seized by the police and the state agency ARMA, and trade union staff were expelled and their access restricted.

As you know, this follows the arrest of Grigoriy Osovyi, President of FPU and member of the ETUC Executive Committee (denounced in the ETUC letter of 28 April)This is the latest in an escalating attack on FPU and trade union offices in violation of trade union rights and Ukraine's international obligations. We recall that the ILO requires member states to guarantee “the right to adequate protection of trade union property as one of those civil liberties which are essential for the normal exercise of trade union rights”.

We also recall that the European Court of Human Rights has repeatedly confirmed that the seizure of trade union property without legal justification of public need is a violation of Article 1 of Protocol No 1 to the Convention. The court has already recognised the FPU as a bona fide owner in past cases.

We call on the Commission to intervene as a matter of urgency and to ask the Ukrainian government to immediately restore the trade union offices and stop its continuous attacks against trade unions.

As Ukraine engages in accession discussions, it is crucial to ensure full compliance with social gains, full respect for the role of social partners and trade unions, promotion and reinforcement of social dialogue and collective bargaining. As recommended in the 2024 Enlargement Package Country Report, Ukraine needs to “strengthen the capacities of social partners”.

In this framework, trade union rights must always be fully respected, including trade union offices.

We are ready to provide further detailed information and to assist the Commission in any way useful, including by facilitating a dialogue with the FPU.

Thanks in advance for your attention and support.

Yours sincerely,

Esther Lynch

General Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation

Ukraine: ITUC condemns fresh attempt to obstruct trade union activities

June 7, 2025

On June 5, government agents accompanied by private security personnel entered the Trade Union House without warning and ordered FPU [Federation of Trade Unions of Ukraine] staff to leave immediately. They took control of the building and blocked further access, significantly disrupting the work of the union.

This latest move follows earlier attacks on the trade union movement in Ukraine, including the arrest of FPU President Grygorii Osovyi. The continued interference in the legitimate work of the FPU reflects a broader pattern of pressure on trade unions.

ITUC General Secretary Luc Triangle said: “This is a clear and unacceptable attempt to block the legitimate activities of the FPU. The Ukrainian government must immediately end these attacks, respect trade union rights and restore the conditions for unions to carry out their work without interference, in line with its national and international obligations.”

Backgrounder (Ukrainska Pravda): How seized assets are transferred to people associated with Minister Stefaniishyna

Mikhail Tkach — Wednesday, 4 June 2025 (edited machine translation) The National Agency of Ukraine for Finding, Tracing and Managing Assets Derived from Corruption and Other Crimes (ARMA) was established ten years ago, back in 2015. The extraordinary level of corruption in Ukraine, as well as Russian armed aggression, have led to the seizure of dozens and hundreds of valuable enterprises, factories, buildings and even yachts.

It is obvious that activities such as those carried out by ARMA are fraught with numerous corruption risks. Many individuals have a vested interest in the ‘correct’ redistribution of property.

For many years now, society has been demanding transparency from the agency and reform of the management of seized assets to prevent them from passing from one corrupt official to another (or even to the same ones through front men). After all, all corrupt and Russian assets can and must be used to fill the state budget with billions of hryvnias. As a result, the justice that politicians have long dreamed of and praised in their speeches can be established. But for some reason, this has not happened yet.

The activities of ARMA attracted the attention of Ukrainska Pravda in March this year. At that time, the agency identified the company that would manage a ‘landmark (as stated on the official website) for the capital’ – the Trade Union House on Independence Square.

We managed to find out that this new manager may be linked to the family of the Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine, Minister of Justice Olha Stefanishyna.

The Trade Union House is now the fourth valuable asset that, by coincidence or not, has been acquired by the same company.

Details are available in our new investigation.

The ETUC expresses solidarity to FPU and to Ukrainian trade unions

Published on April 24, 2025

The European Trade Union Confederation reiterates its full support for Ukrainian trade unions.

The ETUC expresses its solidarity and support for FPU following the latest attacks on trade union property and the house arrest of their President and member of the ETUC Executive Committee Grigoriy Osovyi.

As Ukraine engages in accession discussions, it is crucial to ensure full compliance with the social acquis, full respect for the role of social partners and trade unions, promotion and reinforcement of social dialogue and collective bargaining.

The ETUC underscores that the European Commission stressed in the Ukraine 2024 Report the need for the government to “strengthen the capacities of social partners”. In this framework, trade union rights must always be fully respected.

The ETUC stresses our grave concern about the continued advancement of Draft Bill 6420 [see below], which proposes to seize the property of trade unions, in violation of trade union rights and Ukraine's international obligations [emphasis added].

We recall that the ILO requires member states to guarantee “the right to adequate protection of trade union property as one of those civil liberties which are essential for the normal exercise of trade union rights”.

The ETUC continues to condemn Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, but this cannot be used as an excuse for attacks against trade unions, nor to undermine their capacity, in particular at this crucial time where the labour reforms are being discussed.