Council of Global Unions: Statement on labour safeguards for all investments to rebuild Ukraine

The Council of Global Unions has released a statement focused on the need for labor safeguards for all investments related to the rebuilding Ukraine, estimated by the World Bank to cost as much as 500 billion USD. These figures are staggering - the requested funds are 2.4 times the size of Ukraine's pre-war GDP and three times the total allocated funds in the 1948 Marshall Plan to rebuild all of Western Europe after World War II (179 billion USD in today's currency).

These are only costs of physical reconstruction, while economic recovery will also necessitate robust actions for re-building the workforce, industrial policies, public services, labour market and migration, as well as regional development policies.

It is imperative that a comprehensive, long-term reconstruction strategy include inherent conditionality regarding labour rights. This must encompass the protection of the Core Labour Standards of the ILO, as well as priority conventions that enable and safeguard workers' rights. As we invest in the future of Ukraine, we must prioritize the well-being of its citizens and ensure that their fundamental rights are protected and upheld throughout the reconstruction process. The risks have already been heightened as Ukraine adopted a series of regressive emergency laws that have undermined worker's rights and restricted ability of trade union to protect workers' interests.

Therefore, the Global Unions call for a joint commitment from all investors and donors to incorporate in any loan, donor, or project agreement regarding the reconstruction of Ukraine, the following labour clauses as part of the conditionalities to the government of Ukraine, multilateral institutions, and all national and multinational companies involved in the reconstruction activities:

1. Ensure mandatory compliance with ILO Declaration on the Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work: the Forced Labour Convention, 1930 (No. 29), the Abolition of Forced Labour Convention, 1957 (No. 105), the Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention, 1948 (No. 87), the Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention, 1949 (No. 98) the Occupational Safety and Health Convention, 1981 (No. 155), and the Promotional Framework for Occupational Safety and Health Convention, 2006 (No. 187).
2. Demand that all infrastructure and construction and industrial transformation, including energy, project plans include implementation strategies which incorporate accessible trade union grievance mechanisms, that ensures prompt and effective redress, as well as reporting on decent work compliance, including decent working conditions, just wages and health and safety.
3. Create a mechanism for joint labour inspections in collaboration with relevant national agencies, national, European and international trade unions and social partners to ensure the implementation of ILO Core Labour Standard at all level and phases, including the supply chain, of the construction, infrastructure and industrial activities.
4. Warrant that all construction, infrastructure and industrial project funding and procurement processes are public / transparent / accountable and includes a budget allocation for inspections, vocational training and occupational health and safety measures and consultations with relevant stakeholders.
5. Guarantee that future national policies and legislation protect workers' rights and promote collective bargaining in line with the ILO Conventions and EU legislation to further facilitate the country's aspirations to become a member of the EU.

Click HERE to read the full CGU statement.

Andrii Denisov, Chairman of the IUF Coordination Council of Ukraine, stated: "Implementation of the recovery program is impossible without workers, who will bear the brunt of rebuilding Ukraine's economy. Their labour and trade union rights must be respected and comply with international labour standards. Moreover, after the war, all regulations that restricted workers' rights during martial law should be immediately repealed. The IUF Coordination Council of Ukraine supports the statement of the Council of Global Unions on the need for joint commitment on labour safeguards for all investments to rebuild Ukraine. It's the right thing to do."