Kyiv is overwhelmed by social protests

Vadim Moskalenko.

14.11.2019 14:41

(Moscow time), Kyiv

Policy, social protests, Transport, Ukraine

A rally of representatives of the trade union of railway workers and transport builders was held near the building of the president's office in Kyiv.

The corresponding video recording was published by the ASRI news agency, a PolitNavigator correspondent reports.

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Several hundred people came to the picket demanding the resignation of the head of the Ukrzheldor company, Evgeniy Kravtsov, an increase in salaries and protection of personnel from the prospect of layoffs.

The demands of the protesters were voiced by the head of the trade union organization of line stations of the Zaporozhye Directorate of Railway Transportation, Tatyana Verkhovetskaya.

“What do they want to do to us today? Two laws, one of which has already been adopted and signed by the president, allowing us, a strategic industry, to be privatized, put shares on international open exchanges, and buy whoever wants.

Today Evgeny Kravtsov says that this is know-how, and investors will join in, and we will live well and healthy. But literally a month ago he told us, the trade unions, that with privatization and the new law on railway transport, about 120 thousand railway workers would be laid off. So it will be, and it’s rubbish!” said Verkhovetskaya.

After her words, the protesters began chanting “Ganba!”

During the event, the railway workers showed a small production about how the Ukrainian government, supervised by the oligarchs, destroys Ukrzaliznytsia, but at the last moment the hero Ze-men saves it. After which the protesters asked Vladimir Zelensky to pay attention to talented youth and fulfill the demands set by the protesters.

During the action, its participants held posters with the inscriptions: “Stop the attack on labor rights”, “Collective agreement is a mandatory condition”, “The railway is not a cow”, “Stop the destruction of Ukrzaliznytsia”, “No slavery on the railway”, “No privatization of the railway”, “For decent wages” and others.

Let us recall that earlier the Ukrainian government submitted for consideration to the Verkhovna Rada a draft resolution on the program of activities of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine for five years, suggesting the division of Ukrainian Railways into three companies and an initial public offering of their shares (IPO) on international exchanges.