Ukraine’s Struggle: International Trade Unions Must Act Now
APPEAL OF FEDERATION OF TRADE UNIONS OF UKRAINE TO INTERNATIONAL TRADE UNION MOVEMENT
APPEAL to the ITUC, ETUC, Trade Union Advisory Committee to the OECD, national trade unions on support of the Strategy of Ukraine on Peace and Security
For more than three years, the Ukrainian people have been heroically resisting Russia’s full-scale occupation and terrorist war, defending not only their freedom, independence and territorial integrity, but also the democratic values of the entire civilised world – the right to life, the right to work, the right to peace.
Every day, people are dying, the number of wounded is growing, and cities and villages are being destroyed. What is happening is madness that needs to be stopped decisively.
However, the war is not only testing the resilience of the Ukrainian people, but is also exacerbating economic difficulties and social problems and threatening the lives of every Ukrainian. Rocket attacks and bombardment of all regions of the country have forced mass migration of Ukrainians, with 6.5 to 8 million people leaving the country and more than 3 million forcibly deported to Russia, including children from the occupied territories. During the war, tens of thousands of Ukrainian citizens were killed, about 400,000 were injured or disabled, more than 65,000 went missing, and several thousand are in Russian captivity. Economic losses from the war amount to about $524 billion. The destruction of industry, infrastructure, humanitarian and social facilities has led to the loss of more than 5 million jobs. As a result, unemployment, labour migration and social inequality are on the rise. Calls by some politicians to reduce international financial assistance to Ukraine and to stop military cooperation until peace is achieved provoke a negative reaction from citizens and trade unionists, as this threatens not only to increase human casualties but also to cause economic decline and massive destruction of businesses and critical sectors of the economy. It also leads to the curtailment of state social protection programmes and the inability to fully rebuild the infrastructure without which normal life for the Ukrainians will be impossible.
The President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi has stated that the war could end in 2025 if international pressure on Russia is increased and effective security guarantees are provided to Ukraine. The international community must realise that not only Ukraine’s victory, but also the stability of the entire European region depends on the speed of its actions. Everyone in Europe and the world is well aware of this, but they are not doing enough.
We do not need guarantees from Russia. We do not believe them. Security guarantees should come exclusively from partners. We urge the international trade union community to increase pressure on their governments to provide systematic and continuous support to Ukraine so that we are not left alone.
In particular, we urge them to:
- strengthen the international isolation of Russia, guided by the UN General Assembly resolution “Advancing a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine”, adopted on 24 February 2025, which was another firm signal of the international community in support of Ukraine’s sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders, and the decisions of the EU and the G7 to increase sanctions pressure on Russia;
- increase economic pressure on the aggressor by imposing sanctions on companies that continue to work for the war. This is especially true for suppliers of components for the Russian military-industrial complex, financial institutions that help to circumvent sanctions, and Russian state-owned companies;
- use the frozen assets of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation to provide financial assistance to Ukraine and direct them to compensate war victims, restore housing, medical facilities, schools and workplaces;
- provide funding for social programmes and infrastructure projects for Ukrainian workers and trade unions. Create a special international fund to support Ukrainian labour migrants and facilitate their return to their homeland;
- enhance the role of trade unions in the international peacekeeping process, in particular in the fight for the reduction and elimination of nuclear weapons. It is also necessary to strengthen the role of trade unions in monitoring the implementation of humanitarian initiatives aimed at helping workers and their families affected by the war;
- initiate international negotiations on the return of all Ukrainian prisoners of war and illegally detained civilians by the aggressor country. International organisations should strengthen monitoring of human rights violations in the temporarily occupied territories.
Today, more than ever, international trade union solidarity must become a driving force in the struggle for peace, social justice and sustainable development in Ukraine and the entire democratic world. Only through joint efforts can we protect workers’ rights, achieve decent pay, social protection and equal opportunities for all workers, regardless of their country of residence.
Together we are stronger!
Presidium of the Federation of Trade Unions of Ukraine
Confederation of Free Trade Unions of Ukraine (KVPU)
We want peace, but we are not ready to surrender our land, our cities, or our people to the enemy!
Statement of the Confederation of Free Trade Unions of Ukraine (KVPU) on the occasion of International Workers’ Day – May 1
The May 1 marks the Day of Solidarity and Mutual Support of Working People in their aspiration to live in a peaceful, democratic societies. This day serves as a reminder that only through collective efforts can we overcome any obstacles on this path.
In Ukraine, we have been suffering every day and every night for the fourth year in a row from the full-scale Russian war of aggression. In fact, the war has been ongoing for over eleven years. During all this time, our citizens have been killed and wounded, our peaceful cities and villages, industrial enterprises, social facilities, and infrastructure have been subjected to missile, drons and artillery attacks and bombings. Residential neighborhoods and entire cities are being destroyed, ecologically hazardous industries and entire regions are being cut off from electricity.
In just the first four months of 2025, Russia has attacked with missiles and kamikaze drones enterprises and infrastructure facilities employing thousands of our trade union colleagues in Kyiv, Kharkiv, Dnipro, Pavlohrad, Kamianske, Pokrovsk, Kryvyi Rih, Sumy, Zaporizhzhia other cities. Despite threats and pain, Ukrainian workers resist, despite all challenges Ukrainian trade unions defend labour rights and fight for just peaceful future. The terrorist state of Russia deliberately strikes residential buildings, railway stations, hotels, restaurants and cafes, shopping centers, hospitals, schools and kindergartens, as well as public transport—killing adults and children.
Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, more than 13,000 civilians have been killed by Russian shelling in our country, over 600 of them are children. At least 16 000 Ukrainians are in Russian captivity, including workers and trade union activists and members, and about 63,000 are listed as missing.
These horrifying statistics do not include the thousands of victims in territories occupied by Russia. Unfortunately, the number of innocent Ukrainians killed or injured by the aggressor continues to grow. We want peace, but we are not ready to surrender our land, our cities, or our people to the enemy, because we know that Russia has systematically implemented a regime of terror and violated civil liberties and human rights, including labor rights, in the territories it occupies. Moreover, Russia abides by no agreements. That is why we will fight until Victory and strongly hope for the support of the entire world. Because today we are fighting not only for ourselves, but for every European country, for democratic values, for a world order based on the principles of international law.
We call upon our trade union brothers and sisters around the world to intensify efforts to stop Russian aggression, to stop the genocide of the Ukrainian people, and to ensure the inevitable punishment of war criminals.
We ask our trade union brothers and sisters to urge their governments to increase support for Ukraine, including financial and military aid, and to strengthen sanctions against Russia! We ask our colleagues to demand the release of all Ukrainians from Russian captivity and the return of kidnapped Ukrainian children home.
Only through joint efforts can we overcome evil and achieve the triumph of good—so that under a peaceful sky we may work for the benefit of workers in our country, of Europe, and of the entire world.
Glory to Ukraine! Glory to the heroes!