Ukraine: Education trade unions’ protest action on the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty

Published:

Yesterday, on 17 October 2018, on the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, trade union organisations staged the national protest action in Kiev.

As reported by the Trade Union of Education and Science Workers of Ukraine (TUESWU), thousands of trade unionists joined the action to express their strong resentment over increasing consumer prices and common charges  at the same time demanding to increase salaries and pensions and take into account trade unions’ proposals to the State Budget 2019.

Almost five thousand education employees from all over the country took part in the protest action marching through the city centre to the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine.
Among other things, TUESWU demanded:

  • allocation of at least 7% of GDP to education in the State Budget 2019;
  • increase of students’ scholarships;
  • increase of all education employees’ salaries by 10% ;
  • increase of education subventions from the State Budget to local budgets in 2018 in order to ensure timely payment of teachers’ salaries.

Georgiy Trukhanov, TUESWU President said, “We demand the implementation of the existing laws on education not only on paper and TV, but in practice, including the financial support for teachers. We stand for quality education and motivated teachers regardless of the region or education institution. Teachers must be protected and their work should be respected by both the authorities and society. Education reforms cannot be implemented without teachers. They are their creative leaders and main implementers.

Although we do see some positive signs in the Government’s increased attention to education, I believe that only the real improvement of the status of the teaching profession, higher salaries, and better working conditions can restore the trust of teachers in their profession and attract young graduates to the profession motivating them to stay and work in their own country instead of migrating abroad in search of decent jobs elsewhere”.