The UGT de Catalunya and Catalonia International invite representatives of the biggest trade unions in Ukraine to talk about their struggles in times of war

Yesterday afternoon, a conference entitled ''Workers' Rights in Wartime: a Fight for Freedoms and Democracy'' was held in the Sala de Brigades Internacionals at the headquarters of the UGT de Catalunya (the Catalonian General Workers' Union). The event was organised by UGT de Catalunya with the collaboration of Catalonia International and attended by representatives of the two main trade unions in Ukraine: the Federation of Trade Unions of Ukraine (FPU) and the Confederation of Free Trade Unions of Ukraine (KVPU).

The conference was opened by the Secretary-General of the UGT de Catalunya, Camil Ros, who, in his inaugural remarks, stressed that in a crisis such as the one being experienced in Ukraine, it is essential not to lose sight of the fact that we are all human beings, even though the struggle for rights may be temporarily affected. Subsequently, representing their various institutions, speeches were made by Jordi Valls, Fourth Deputy Mayor of Barcelona City Council, Manuel Szapiro, Director of the European Commission's Office in Barcelona, and Laura Foraster i Lloret, Secretary-General of Catalonia International. Valls and Szapiro stressed the importance of not forgetting the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, despite the fact that it has taken a back seat on the media agenda, given that what is at stake in the conflict is the defence of values that are inherent to the European Union and Europe in general. Foraster explained that the aim of the meeting was to give those involved in the conflict a platform in Catalonia so that people could hear first-hand about what is happening in Ukraine. She also stressed that paying attention to international events is one of the organisation's most important tasks because it allows them to connect Catalonia with the rest of the world and facilitate the exchange of best practices in both directions.

The conference was led by Cati Llibre, head of International at UGT de Catalunya, who, once the institutional presentations had been made, spoke with the real protagonists of the day, the president of the FPU, Grygorii Osovyi, the secretary of International, Vasyl Andreryev, and the secretary of International for the KVPU, Olesia Briazgunova.

In his address, Osovyi pointed out that the war has changed the terms of trade union dialogue. One can no longer speak of a lack of productivity because the war has destroyed countless jobs and deepened the economic and social crisis, affecting workers' rights due to the application of martial law. Now, one of the tasks facing the trade unions is to define a future strategy for the post-war situation.

Briazgunova focused on the risk that women, and even children, have had to assume in the labour market, to replace the work of men who have been called up. Jobs in which it was previously forbidden by the government to hire women or children, such as work in mines, are now being taken up by this sector to safeguard the day-to-day running of the country. She also remarked on the post-traumatic stress they are suffering as direct victims of the violence produced by the conflict. Both situations are clear examples of the changes in society and work that have taken place in the country as a result of the war. In this context, she highlighted the psychological resilience and psychiatric support programmes being developed by the trade unions. She concluded by explaining that the war has postponed the classic struggles around wage gaps and gender equality and that room has had to be made to address the issues of occupational risk and safety and the increase in mental illnesses that have arisen as a result of the conflict.

Finally, Andreyev spoke about the work that will have to be undertaken to manage the post-war scenario.  He said that of the 10 million Ukrainians who have fled the country, it is doubtful that even half of them will return, and this will create new challenges in terms of recovering the workforce, which is needed now more than ever to help rebuild the country. Workers will also have to be trained in construction and metallurgy, and efforts will have to be made to help reintegrate older generations into the labour market. The speaker pointed out that Ukraine will need to modernise because it has been under attack for many years, even before the current conflict, while at the same time it will have to confront the classic struggles of any society, such as the fight against corruption, the right to strike and the restoration of freedoms. In short, it is a question of returning to normality and, in his words, protecting "European civilisation".

The day was brought to a close with speeches from representatives of various Catalan civil society organisations that have been involved in analysing or directly providing support during the conflict in Ukraine. The speakers included David Minoves, Director of the Catalan Cooperation Fund; Carmen Claudín, Senior Research Associate at the Barcelona Centre for International Affairs (CIDOB); Alfons Bech, from the European Network for Solidarity with Ukraine, and Victoria Tissot, Ambassador for the Arts in Ukraine.