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13 July, 2005ICEM News Release No. 21/1999
Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma has ordered the government to ensure full payment of wages owed to the country's nuclear workers. Staff at Ukraine's five nuclear power stations, including Chernobyl, are owed more than US$15 million. They are threatening to launch an indefinite strike unless they are paid in full.
A meeting took place on Monday afternoon between President Kuchma, leaders of the nuclear workers' union ATU, government ministers and top management of the national nuclear power utility Energoatom.
ATU President Alexander Jurkin and the power station workers' leader O. Litch told Kuchma that the nuclear workers will maintain their protest campaign until the wage debt is fully paid. Emphasising the highly responsible line taken by the nuclear union so far, they informed the President that pressure from the union's rank-and-file for full strike action is continuing to grow. A strike originally called for this Monday was postponed to allow further talks on the dispute.
According to information just received by the 20-million-strong International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM), to which the ATU is affiliated, President Kuchma immediately ordered the Ukrainian government to settle the dispute and put the country's debt-ridden energy sector back on a sound financial footing. In particular, he told Deputy Prime Minister V. Kurachenko, who was present at the meeting, to take personal charge of resolving the crisis. He also ordered Kurachenko to attend a plenary meeting with the union, scheduled for 30 March.
During Monday's meeting, Kuchma is understood to have telephoned the heads of the National Bank, of the state prosecutors and of the security services. He reportedly told the National Bank to facilitate the opening of new credit lines for the nuclear industry. The prosecutor's office and the security services were ordered to stop harassing the ATU's branch offices.
Protesting workers are continuing to gather in the "canvas cities" of tents pitched around the nuclear power stations.
A meeting took place on Monday afternoon between President Kuchma, leaders of the nuclear workers' union ATU, government ministers and top management of the national nuclear power utility Energoatom.
ATU President Alexander Jurkin and the power station workers' leader O. Litch told Kuchma that the nuclear workers will maintain their protest campaign until the wage debt is fully paid. Emphasising the highly responsible line taken by the nuclear union so far, they informed the President that pressure from the union's rank-and-file for full strike action is continuing to grow. A strike originally called for this Monday was postponed to allow further talks on the dispute.
According to information just received by the 20-million-strong International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM), to which the ATU is affiliated, President Kuchma immediately ordered the Ukrainian government to settle the dispute and put the country's debt-ridden energy sector back on a sound financial footing. In particular, he told Deputy Prime Minister V. Kurachenko, who was present at the meeting, to take personal charge of resolving the crisis. He also ordered Kurachenko to attend a plenary meeting with the union, scheduled for 30 March.
During Monday's meeting, Kuchma is understood to have telephoned the heads of the National Bank, of the state prosecutors and of the security services. He reportedly told the National Bank to facilitate the opening of new credit lines for the nuclear industry. The prosecutor's office and the security services were ordered to stop harassing the ATU's branch offices.
Protesting workers are continuing to gather in the "canvas cities" of tents pitched around the nuclear power stations.