About us

The Trade Union of Education and Science Workers of Ukraine was established in September 1990, however, it continues the rich history of the teachers’ trade union movement in Ukraine whose origins date back to the beginning of the 20th century. The first national teachers union was set up in 1919 and underwent several reorganisations during next 70 years.

Now the Trade Union of Education and Science Workers is the major organisation of education workers and students in Ukraine. It is one of the largest and most reputed member organisations of the Federation of Trade Unions of Ukraine. It organises school teachers, workers of pre-school children care facilities, educators, professors and lectures of higher education establishments, as well as administrative and support staff of education facilities and retired pensioners. As of beginning of 2012 the Trade Union had 29 647 primary organisations with total membership of 1 million 983 thousand members.

The highest Trade Union’s decision making body is the Congress, which is convened every five years.

The highest Trade Union’s body between Congresses is the Central Committee that is responsible for the implementation of Congress decisions and coordination of the work carried out by organisational units of the Trade Union.

In its activities the Trade Union of Education and Science Workers aims to represent and protect labour, social and economic rights of its members. The Trade Union fights for improvement in education workers’ living standards, increase in their wages, decent working environment and social protection of students.

The Trade Union reaches its goals through the social partnership by means of negotiations, conclusion of the Sectoral Agreement with the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine and collective agreements in the interest of workers, participates in development and implementation of the government education policy in the field of labour relations, wages, social protection and living conditions.

The Trade Union develops proposals to legislative and other legal acts regarding social and labour rights of teachers and lobbies for them. It also submits proposals in order to improve national legislative field which regulates the activity of educational institutions and establishments and specifies social status of teachers and workers of the sector.

The Trade Union's Central Committee and territorial organisations have in their structures a legal service and a technical labour inspection. They monitor the observation of labour legislation and labour safety in educational institutions, provision of decent work and study conditions. The legal service of the Trade Union provides free legal assistance to trade union members.

The Trade Union owns some health improving facilities and children camps. These facilities are available for education workers and their children, students, veterans of labour at preferential rates. The Trade Union also organises numerous amateur cultural activities, sport competitions, contests, festivals, other leisure activities for its members and their families.

One of the Trade Union’s priorities is development of cooperation with international and foreign organisations and integration into the international teachers' trade union movement. Since 1996 the Trade Union is a member of international trade union association, Education International. It is represented in its elected body – European Trade Union Committee on Education. Bilateral cooperation agreements have been concluded with the trade unions of education and science workers of Belarus, Russia, Moldova, Georgia, Latvia, Azerbaijan, Poland and France. The Trade Union studies and disseminates the experience of foreign trade unions, their achievements in protection of education workers’ rights, relations with state authorities.

The last Congress held in November 2010 determined Trade Union’s priorities for the next period and elected Georgiy Trukhanov President of the Trade Union and three Vice-Presidents: Liubov Gharbarenko, Eugen Nikitiuk and Sergii Romaniuk. Its delegates unanimously supported the statement that quality education is of the paramount ideological, social and economic importance for the state, and the welfare of the education workers is fundamental for the provision of quality education.