4 March, 2025Atomprofspilka, an IndustriALL affiliate, provided legal oversight, ensuring that labour laws were upheld and workers' rights remained unshaken. The union was a community- one that informed, educated and uplifted. But then, the war came and everything changed.
“Before the war shattered our world, Atomprofspilka stood as a pillar of strength for Ukrainian workers. Our mission, like all trade unions, was to protect, empower and advocate. We fought for better wages, safer working conditions and legal protections while ensuring that health rehabilitation, training and youth engagement thrived within the industries we represented,”
says Lesia Semeniaka international officer of Atomprofspilka.
The outbreak of war radically transformed their work and their worlds. Industrial devastation, the destruction of enterprises and mass job losses tore through the economy. Thousands of workers were forced to flee, fight, or endure occupation under brutal conditions. Many lost their homes, livelihoods and their lives.
“Mass attacks with ballistic missiles, artillery shells and drone strikes turned factories into rubble. Entire industries collapsed, from energy to metallurgy, leaving workers without pay, security and a future. Many joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine, further shrinking union ranks, weakening resources and limiting our ability to support those who remained,”
explains Lesia Semeniaka.
Yet, despite these immense challenges, Atomprofspilka refused to give up.
“The war thrusted an unimaginable reality upon us. Suddenly, our focus shifted from wage negotiations to survival. We faced urgent, life-or-death questions: How do we protect workers and workplaces from constant bombings? How do we operate when power, internet and communication lines are cut off? Where do we relocate industries to? How do we transform basements into bomb shelters? How do we safeguard workers in occupied territories? Where do we find financial aid for union members who lost everything, including their identity documents?”
says Lesia Semeniaka.
These were not just logistical concerns they were existential threats. The weight of protecting, guiding and supporting thousands of workers amid war became the new and urgent reality.
The impact on workers has been severe. At nuclear power plants in Ukrainian-controlled areas, operations continue with relative stability. But elsewhere, the situation is dire. Thermal energy generation is 90 per cent destroyed. The conditions for energy workers, oil and gas industry employees, chemical workers, miners and emergency responders are harsh and hazardous. Long hours, dangerous environments and the constant threat of attack define their daily reality.
Despite the devastation, Atomprofspilka refuses to be broken. The union has adapted, setting urgent priorities like supporting the Armed Forces of Ukraine, standing with fellow citizens in defense of the homeland, providing direct aid to workers affected by war, ensuring they receive financial and humanitarian assistance and adjusting all trade union activities to the realities of war, continuing to advocate, protect and fight for workers’ rights in every way possible.
“Through it all, we have not stood alone. IndustriALL Global Union and its affiliates have shown unwavering solidarity, offering critical support during Ukraine’s darkest hours. Their commitment to justice, workers’ rights and human dignity inspires us to keep fighting,”
says Lesia Semeniaka.
“The war is far from over. Now, more than ever, we must unite to stop Russia’s aggression and hold it accountable for the crimes and genocide committed against the Ukrainian people. We will rebuild. We will protect our workers. We will never surrender our fight for justice, dignity and peace,” explains Lesia Semeniaka.
“We must continue to keep Ukraine in our thoughts and on our agendas, ensuring that the sacrifices of its people are not forgotten and that their fight for freedom is supported. The bravery and resilience of Ukrainian workers and their unions are nothing short of extraordinary and their struggle is one that demands our support,”
says IndustriALL general secretary, Atle Høie.
Photos: Atomprofspilka