- Conference
- 2024 National Delegate Conference
- Date
- 19 February 2024
- Decision
- Carried
Conference notes the devastating damage inflicted since the full scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia in 2022. Ukraine was poor before the war, with a per capita GDP of $3,700 (one third of the poorest EU state); last year GDP fell by 30%. Unemployment is estimated by the IMF to be 19.4 percent.
Six million people (15 percent of the population) have fled Ukraine, five million have been internally displaced.
The Kyiv School of Economics reports (October 2023) that 1,700 secondary schools, 1000 nurseries and 586 higher education institutions have been damaged or destroyed, as have 1,223 medical facilities, including 384 hospitals and 353 pharmacies.
Conference believes the international labour movement has a duty of solidarity with the people of Ukraine, as with all peoples suffering imperialist invasion and oppression, and with its labour movement, fighting both the Russian invasion and the neoliberal policies of the Zelensky government.
Conference strongly endorses the decision of our delegation at TUC Congress last September to vote for the resolution in solidarity with Ukraine and its labour movement, which was passed overwhelmingly.
Conference calls on the National Executive Council:
1)To actively support Ukraine’s struggle for liberation from Russian imperialism; immediate withdrawal of all Russian troops from Ukraine; and the struggles of trade unionists, socialists, etc in Ukraine and Russia for workers’ rights, social provision and democracy as well as Ukraine’s right to self-determination;
2)To organise campaigning on this basis, including:
a)Strengthen links with unions in Ukraine;
b)Provide details of Ukrainian trade unionists who will speak at branch, regional and national events;
c)Holding online and real-world events to educate members about these issues;
3)To affiliate to the Ukraine Solidarity Campaign and encourage branches etc to do likewise.