Tomás Ó Flatharta

Trade Unionists for Solidarity with Ukraine –
Russian Troops Out of Ukraine Now

ICTU BDC Official Fringe Meeting

Maginnes 3, Lyrath Hotel, Kilkenny

Tuesday July 4 2023 17.30

Zoom Link : https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82438977972?pwd=NlR1dVVra0VoNkRXTFFjYnY4SHZKdz09

Speakers :

Gregor Kerr – Irish National Teachers Organisation delegate to ICTU BDC, member of the ICTU Global Solidarity Committee (Personal Capacity)

Nataliya Levytska , Deputy Chair, KVPU (Confederation of Free Trade Unions of Ukraine)

Sergey Movchan, member of Solidarity Collectives Ukraine

Denys Pilash, political scientist and historian representing Sotsialnyi Rukh (Social Movement Ukraine)

Chairperson : Nóirín Greene, Former ICTU Executive Member

We stand in solidarity with the people of Ukraine and their defence against the illegal and brutal invasion of February 2022. We want an immediate stop to the bombardment of civilians and the destruction of civilian infrastructure by the Russian Federation and to war crimes and human rights abuses in the occupied territories.

We are for the speediest possible end to the war, based on

• The immediate withdrawal of all Russian forces
• Self-determination for Ukraine and restoration of occupied territory
• Ukraine’s right to appeal for, and be provided with, the military equipment needed to defeat the invasion.
• Approval of any ‘peace deal’ by the people of Ukraine

We extend our solidarity to Ukrainian trade unionists and socialists who continue to promote

and defend workers’ rights. We oppose the introduction of new labour laws in Ukraine which

have undermined trade union and worker rights.

We support a socially progressive reconstruction of Ukraine, with trade unions and civil society

playing a central role. We therefore support the cancellation of Ukraine’s foreign debt and

seizure of Russian assets to help fund state and society-led reconstruction with fully state-

funded welfare state and a low carbon sustainable economy.

Speakers :

Nataliya Levytska , Deputy Chair, KVPU (Confederation of Free Trade Unions of Ukraine) – national trade union centre in Ukraine, affiliated to ITUC and Deputy President of the Independent Mineworkers Union of Ukraine – NGPU. The NGPU represents mine workers in coal, iron and uranium ore, non-ferrous metals, peat and energy. The union fights for the rights of miners, preservation of jobs, prevention of deterioration of labour legislation and social protection of miners and their families. She is interviewed in the book ‘Ukraine Voices of Resistance and Solidarity’.

Sergey Movchan, member of Solidarity Collectives Ukraine – an anti-authoritarian volunteer network that unites several individual and organisational grassroots initiatives, united to help the Ukrainian resistance movement and people affected by the Russian invasion. “Solidarity Collectives” have three main areas of work: military, humanitarian, and media. They work daily collecting fighters’ needs, making purchases in Ukraine and abroad, organizing humanitarian trips to war-affected regions, communicating with friendly initiatives, and publishing the results of their work.

They came together to help the Ukrainian resistance fight off Russian aggression. To quote from their manifesto “But we aren’t just against something, we also stand for. Our goal is a free and just society, our main values are social, economic, and gender equality.”

Denys Pilash, political scientist and historian representing Sotsialnyi Rukh (Social Movement Ukraine) – a Ukrainian left-wing community organization founded in 2015, which stands on the principles of democratic socialism, opposing capitalism and xenophobia. Denys is on the editorial board of Commons: Journal of Social Criticism, a left-wing Ukrainian media about economy, politics, history and culture, founded in 2009, whose editorial board shares egalitarian and anti-capitalist views. “That is why in our publications,” they say, “we discuss how to change society so that there is no room for exploitation, inequality and discrimination.”

Gregor Kerr – Irish National Teachers Organisation delegate to ICTU BDC, member of the ICTU Global Solidarity Committee and former member of INTO Central Executive Committee – speaking in a personal capacity. Gregor is also a member of Irish Left With Ukraine and has been an active member of many trade union and political campaigns for many years.

Chairperson :

Nóirín Greene – Former ICTU Executive Member