Meeting with two Ukrainian railway unions

The document from the SUD-Rail trade union federation [Solidaires], with photos.

On 21 and 22 June, the  International Labour Network of Solidarity and Strugglesorganised a meeting in Kyiv with representatives of several independent trade unions in Ukraine:

- BE LIKE WE ARE, a Ukrainian nurses' union.

- DIRECT ACTION, a students' union in Ukraine.

- The KVPU regional union in Kryvyi Rih.

- Independent trade union of railway workers in the Kryvyi Rih region, affiliated to the KVPU.

- The Independent Trade Union of Railway Workers in Kyiv, affiliated to the KVPU.

In addition to Union syndicale SOLIDAIRES, WORKERS' INITIATIVE, Poland's national cross-industry trade union organisation, was also present.

This was an opportunity to hear from the leaders of the two rail unions: Oleksandr Skiba, from Kyiv, and Vyacheslav Grigorievich, from Kryvyi Rih. Here is what we have learnt, through some general information on the one hand, and an interview with comrade Kryvyi Rih on the other.

 

The background

The war

Since the invasion of Russia and the war waged by the Russian army, 23 railwaymen and women have died in the workplace; around 600 railwaymen and women have died at the front or as a result of the bombardment of cities. Russian armed aggression also means alerts that prevent people from sleeping at night, alerts that prevent them from going out during the day; even if this ends up being "trivialised" (as far as that goes!), it is not without consequences for the overall state of the population. The comrades note that recently there have been more and more Russian attacks against infrastructures.

Working conditions

The working week has been extended to 60 hours. This is having an impact on working conditions, accidents and the health of railway workers. This is all the more true given the age of the infrastructure and equipment. Here too, the wartime situation is having an impact: the planned modernisations are no longer a priority. For example, most of the locomotives date from the 1950s and present safety risks for railway workers, users and the general public.

Employer cynicism

The general public is subject to safety obligations during alerts; for some railway workers, whose activity is directly linked to the safety of traffic and users, it is not possible, for example, to leave their workstation to go to the shelters. Railwaymen have been killed, for example, in the workplace (driving or accompanying trains, signal boxes, etc.) by Russian army bombardments; management refuses to pay the compensation linked to the death, passing the responsibility onto the deceased workers ! Furthermore, during alerts, railway workers are not paid... This problem is not unique to the railway sector. Yuriy Samoilov, from the Independent Miners' Union of Ukraine (KVPU), at the series of meetings organised by the  International Labour Network of Solidarity and Struggles, had told us about the struggles led by the miners of Kryvyi Rih against these scandalous practices.

Trade union struggles

At the meeting on 21 and 22 June, Fedorenko Vyacheslav Grigorievich, of the independent railway workers' union in Kryvyi Rih (affiliated to the KVPU), stressed the need to defend workers' rights in the current context. Russian military aggression and the war that has been raging on Ukrainian territory for more than three years are having a direct impact here too: because of the strategic role of the railways, with "only" 10% of railway workers on the front line, the bosses are threatening those who fight for their rights with dismissal, knowing that "dismissal" means "being sent to the front line"; moreover, the rights to strike and demonstrate have been suspended ... which does not prevent there being numerous trade union struggles, including in this form .[1]

It is thanks to them that we are still able to organise meetings like this, and that goes for a whole range of other things", said one of the trade unionists present in Kyiv.

At this time, legal defence is an essential activity for the union. Our comrade from Kryvyi Rih insisted on one point: "it's the union that provides this legal support, not firms outside the workers' organisation". The employers, on the other hand, have a large number of lawyers at their disposal, as well as support "at the highest level", which enables them, by increasing the number of appeals, to have decisions taken by local judges overturned by national bodies.

Women on the railways

As throughout war-torn Ukraine, women play an important role. According to our comrades in Kyiv and Kryvyi Rih, there are currently around 50% women on the railways, with inequalities in representation depending on the position.

International support

However modest or insufficient, it is vital. Our comrades explain that what is provided in this way prevents deaths: medicines, bullet-proof waistcoats, binoculars, etc., this type of material is passed on to the trade unionists who are on the front line and strengthens trade union support for the workers engaged on the front line; "thanks to the trade union, on the front line, those who are unionised are a little better off and also better protected !" Responses to ad hoc requests, such as the binoculars recently financed by the SUD-Rail trade union federation, fall within this framework too, as Vyacheslav and Oleksandr reminded us.

The three convoys organised by the International Trade Union Solidarity and Struggle Network in 2022 and 2023 were direct actions of solidarity, destined for several independent trade union structures; the collections organised by the French intersyndicale, handed over to the FPU and the KVPU, also contributed to concrete international solidarity. International trade union solidarity also has an impact on the balance of power with the bosses.

 

Interview with Vyacheslav Grigorievich

Could you introduce yourself to our readers?

My name is Fedorenko Vyacheslav Grigorievich and I've been working on the railways since I was 17. I started out as a rolling stock maintenance worker, then became an assistant electric locomotive driver, before becoming an electric locomotive driver at the age of 22. I have two university degrees, one in engineering and the other in law. I currently hold the elected position of Chairman of the primary trade union section of the Free Trade Union of Railway Workers of Ukraine at the Kryvyi Rih locomotive depot, and I am Vice-Chairman of the Free Trade Union of Railway Workers of Ukraine on the Dnieper railway line. I defend the union's members and their labour rights in court.

When, how and why did you set up your union?

The trade union organisation I lead was founded in 2018. The reasons for setting up this grassroots trade union organisation are as follows:

1) The ineffectiveness of the existing trade union organisation in the company, which took a pro-management stance.

2) The restriction of the rights and guarantees of railway workers, in particular the changes made in 2017 to the legislation, as a result of which railway workers lost the right to retire at 55.

3) The desire to create an effective trade union organisation, adapted to current realities.

What are the most important social struggles you have organised?

[Une image contenant habits, personne, Visage humain, sourire Le contenu généré par l’IA peut être incorrect.] In 2018, we organised a "strike" in the Kryvyi Rih region - the workers complied perfectly with their service instructions, which the employer himself had imposed. As a result, 44 major companies were paralysed; the railways are the arteries of the economy.

What is the situation and what are the problems facing railway workers?

Among the most common general problems are the failure of the workplace to comply with the requirements of occupational health and safety legislation, poor working conditions, breaches of pay legislation and low wages.

What are your union's demands?

Improvements in the situation of workers, and compliance by employers with legislative requirements on pay and health and safety at work.

How do you defend workers in a country at war and under martial law?

Today, the only protection available to workers is judicial protection, because strikes and demonstrations are banned in wartime.

Many railway workers are serving in the Ukrainian armed forces, including union members. What is your relationship with them? What is the union doing to help them?

In order to protect the lives and health of the railway workers who have been mobilised, our union is in contact with other unions and organisations abroad to ensure that humanitarian aid is delivered in a targeted manner. The union is also defending the socio-economic rights of the mobilised workers in court.

There is a lot of talk about the reconstruction of Ukraine after the war. How do you see this and what role should your union play in this reconstruction, in the Ukraine of tomorrow?

As part of the future reconstruction of the country, I see the union continuing to defend the social and economic rights of workers. As the union develops and expands, I think it will be necessary to represent workers' interests in the legislature, because laws must be passed to improve the situation of workers.

June 2025.

[1] On this subject, see the extensive information published on the website of the  International Labour Network of Solidarity and Struggles.