The founder of the Academy of Labour and Social Relations is the Federation of Trade Unions of Ukraine (FPU).
The Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Ukraine was created on October the 6th, 1990 after Ukraine was declared independent. The Federation was a successor of the Ukrainian Republican Council of Trade Unions. The declaration creating the FPU was signed by 25 national and 24 regional trade unions.
In November 1992, at its Second (Extraordinary) Congress, the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Ukraine was renamed as the Federation of Trade Unions of Ukraine.
The Federation is the most numerous trade union association in Ukraine. The aim of the FPU is to express and represent the interests and protect the rights of its member organizations, coordinate their collective actions, promote unity in the trade union movement, represent and protect labor and the socio-economic rights and interests of trade union members before state and local authorities, represent the interests of members in their relationship with employers and their organizations, and to represent its members in interactions with other citizens’ associations (Article 8 of the FPU Statute).
The FPU main tasks are protection of labour, socio-economic rights and interests of trade union members; social protection of trade union members and their families; legal protection of trade union members; strengthening of FPU influence on political life and in the formation of the civil society; improvement of the social contract with other trade unions, employers, and the state; cooperating with other trade unions and their associations; building and maintaining the equality of rights and opportunities for men and women; strengthening the FPU as a democratic trade union; and strengthening and widening FPU international relations.
International activities of the Federation of Trade Unions of Ukraine are being conducted in accordance with the goals and tasks outlined in the Programme and Statute of the FPU, as well as in the decisions of its congresses and elected organs. Its main international task the Federation understands in deepening the dialogue with foreign national trade union centres, as well as with international and regional trade union associations on the principles of mutual respect, aid and equality.
FPU maintains relations with trade union centres in CIS countries, Belgium, Bulgaria, Vietnam, Denmark, Israel, Cyprus, China, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Hungary, France etc. Federation is paying much attention to cooperation with the International Labour Organization and is taking part at its actions, at working out of important conventions for the trade union movement. The Federation is defending the general position of trade unions at the appropriate committees that were agreed in the frame of the Toiler group of the ILO Administrative council and is actively using the opportunities given by ILO to carry out examination of the draft legislation that is being discussed at the Ukrainian parliament.
The Federation is closely cooperating with General Confederation of Trade Unions in issues concerning the social security of the working people. FPU is maintaining constant relations with the World Bank and International Monetary Fund in order to express its point of view on their policy.
In January 2005 the Federation of Trade Unions of Ukraine became a member of International Trade Union Confederation. Membership in that organization opened new opportunities for international cooperation between the trade unions at all levels. It also enabled further integration of Ukrainian trade unions into international trade union movement.
Contact information:
Phone: +38 (044) 289-09-93,
Fax: +38 (044) 2895580.
E-mail: fpsu@fpsu.org.ua
