UNISON Scotland sent a delegation to Ukraine. Their full report is attached to this post
The delegation spent most of it’s time in Kharkiv city where they met trade unionists from FPU and KVPU affiliated unions.
The delegation also visited children in underground and Metro classes, spoke to social care workers, teachers, health workers, local politicians, some workers who were now in the military, student and youth leaders, sports centre staff who organised food banks and rehabilitation for those, military and civilians, who had been disabled and traumatised by the war, journalists who risked their lives reporting from the frontline and LGBTQI+ activists.
They visited council buildings, a sports college and a large peripheral housing scheme, that had suffered severe damage, some outright destruction from missile attacks, the sites of many deaths.
“Our delegation visit reinforced for us that the decision of UNISON National Delegate Conference was the correct one and that our union must take the action called for to support the trade unions and help build a powerful union movement in Ukraine.
However, the first priority of all these people and organisations is that the war must be ended and that it has to be won.”