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26 June, 2006
A protest in Kiev tomorrow, organised by the Ukrainian Trade Union Federation (FPU), is expected to turn out over 100,000 people. The demonstrations and march, deliberately organised a day before Ukraine’s Constitution Day, are an attempt to block further increases by the government on utility tariffs.
On 21 June, FPU organised regional demonstrations against the hike in gas and electricity tariffs which brought out 200,000 protestors across Ukraine. In the eastern cities of Donetsk and Kharkiv, 10,000 marchers, displaying FPU banners turned out, demanded a moratorium on utility tariffs, while thousands more protested in the western city of Lviv and the southern city of Kherson.
Ukraine’s National Electric Regulatory Commission increased the tariffs for customers on 1 May, and then again on 1 June. The government has scheduled another increase on 1 July that will, in total, result in an 85% increase in less than 60 days.
Alexander Yurkin
FPU, headed by former ICEM Regional Vice President Alexander Yurkin, has promised continued street mobilisations until the government relents. The labour federation sponsored a 24 May demonstration in Kiev that mobilised well over 100,000 citizens. Thus far, Yurkin said, “the protests have not produced any reaction from the government.” He said public pressure by the labour federation will be escalated until fairness comes to consumers.