European Trade Union Committee for Education

In 2015, as a result of a highly unstable political environment brought on by anti-government protests, and later the annexation of Crimea and military activities in the Eastern part of Ukraine,   TUESWU,  one of  ETUCE’s Ukrainian member organisations, was confronted with many challenges. In February 2014, the trade union headquarters were burnt down during the violent clashes between demonstrators and police. Since then, EI/ETUCE helped the trade union to rent hotel rooms situated far from the city centre as offices for its staff.

In spite of not having appropriate offices, TUESWU continued to struggle for teachers’ rights in conditions of the government’s austerity policy. It succeeded to prevent some cuts in teachers’ salaries proposed by the government.

Last March EI and ETUCE mobilised the membership to financially support the Ukrainian member organisation at such a critical moment and to provide its affiliates a roof over their heads. That same month, EI led an international trade union mission to Ukraine to view the situation and how it was possible to assist TUESWU in its search for new offices, and to help its own membership to take action.

Solidarity has no borders. With the help of member unions’ donations to the Solidarity Fund, educators in Ukraine once again established a head office for their trade union.

Recently, our Ukrainian colleagues brought good news to the ETUCE Secretariat – the union has moved into new offices. Members of the Ukrainian trade union added a significant amount of money to the purchase, renovation and equipment of the office by contributing to the fund set up by TUESWU, for this purpose. This money helped to provide the trade union with the office equipment and furniture that it needs to ensure its effective work.

Once set up in the new office, TUESWU celebrated another achievement. As a result of mass protests led from May to June, the teacher union succeeded in achieving an increase of teachers’ salaries of 18 % from 1 September 2015. The trade union believes that it is far from being enough, as it only compensates the annual inflation.

In the new offices and with renewed energy, TUESWU is ready to meet new challenges and continue its struggle for decent work and quality education.

TUESWU is very grateful for and appreciates the international solidarity of its sister unions for helping it to survive in difficult times.