As part of the exchange of experience in successfully resolving labor conflicts, we publish materials regarding the conclusion of additional agreements with local therapists and nurses regarding “piece-rate” incentive payments, as well as additional payments for an increased amount of work (under Article 60.2). This work was carried out by the “Action” trade union at Sarapul City Hospital No. 1 in July-August 2016.

Not timid Public sector employees are increasingly deciding to actively defend their labor rights

Anna Alekseeva

Last Saturday in Chelyabinsk there was a meeting of the trade union of the Trubodetal plant, the conflict of whose activists with the management of the NI enterprise has already been reported. In the same region, janitors at one of the schools decided to go on strike. Simultaneously in Krasnodar region dockers are on strike, and in Moscow trade union activists are going to be tried for distributing leaflets. Experts call the increase in activity of trade union organizations a response to funding cuts and “optimization” in the budgetary sector.

TRADE UNION ACTIVIST ANDREY KONOVAL WAS BEATEN IN UFA

Andrei Konoval, coordinator of the health workers' trade union "Action", was attacked. He was beaten by two unknown men near the house where the headquarters of the trade union committee “Action” is located, on Arkhitekturnaya Street in Ufa.

An open statement from the hunger strikers of Ufa ambulance doctors

OPEN STATEMENT
hunger strike participants protesting employees of the Ufa Emergency Medical Station


We, employees of the Ufa Emergency Medical Care Station, announce the start of a hunger strike on September 9, 2014 at 10:00 am in protest against low wages and the inaction of officials in the situation of destruction of the system of high-quality emergency medical care in the capital of Bashkortostan.

Due to low wages, difficult working conditions and work overload, about 200 field team employees have quit since the beginning of 2014, and layoffs continue. With a team size of about 1 thousand people, the outflow of qualified personnel was about 20 percent.

Currently, 55% of field teams are not staffed in accordance with federal standards. Instead of two employees, one is sent on field trips, and if resuscitation measures are necessary, he simply cannot technically provide the necessary assistance in full.

Most of the employees have been working at half-time for years, undermining their health. The physical and psychological stress on workers increases, and the risk of medical error increases. Leaves much to be desired technical condition a significant proportion of ambulances. Fuel consumption rates have been inadequately reduced, and drivers are subject to deductions from their salaries for breakdowns.

One of the reasons for this state of affairs was the reduction in the amount of funding for the SSMP in Ufa in 2014 by 12% (according to the response of the State Labor Inspectorate of the Republic of Belarus). As a result, instead of measures to increase the attractiveness of working in an ambulance, the administration of the Ufa Emergency Medical Service, in violation of the law, sharply reduced the salaries of ordinary workers, canceling payments for intensity starting in May and halving the amount of the bonus for night duty starting in June. The old FNPR trade union operating in the institution, instead of defending our rights, agreed on the corresponding changes to the collective agreement.

According to the results of an inspection by the State Labor Inspectorate, carried out at our request, for 6 months of 2014 in comparison with 2013, the average salary at the station decreased: by 4.12% for medical personnel, by 4.4% for paramedical personnel, by 10.8% for junior medical personnel, 8% for other personnel (including drivers).
Our attempts to solve these problems by contacting the authorities and supervisory authorities did not lead to results. Only after we created the primary organization of the Interregional Trade Union of Health Workers “Action” (152 SSMP employees), held a press conference and a picket, the employer and officials began to pay attention to our demands. Conciliation procedures began, the municipality of Ufa allocated 14 million rubles, 100% of the “overnight” fees were paid for July, and the principle of financing the Ufa ambulance was changed.
In response to this, we stopped the protest campaign for a month, awaiting the results of the implementation of instructions and the obligations assumed by officials and the employer.

However, by the beginning of September it became clear to us that the conciliation process was, in fact, interrupted.
The administration of the SSMP in Ufa ignored what was guaranteed by the Labor Code of the Russian Federation and Federal law"ABOUT trade unions» No. 10-FZ the right of PPO MPRZ “Action” to participate in collective bargaining. Changes were made to the collective agreement that abolished the guaranteed nature of 100 percent additional payments for night shifts. The “old” trade union FNPR agreed on these changes, although it did not have the right to do this, since, according to its own statements, it does not have more than 50% of the station’s employees in its ranks, and therefore cannot single-handedly represent labor collective in collective bargaining. According to estimates by the administration of Ufa, 14 million rubles. enough only for sewing workwear and only for 2-3 months of 100 percent additional payment for “night” workers, and the introduction of a per capita principle of financing at the current tariff will not lead to any serious solution to the problems of financing the SSMP in Ufa.

Our proposal to create a working group to discuss and make changes to the draft “effective contracts” (since the presented drafts contain inaccuracies and include clauses that worsen the conditions of the previous contract and contradict the Labor Code and other regulations) are ignored by management, despite the fact that these contracts must be signed already on October 1, 2014. In this contract, the administration is trying to legitimize absurd things. For example, such a norm that in the resuscitation team the doctor leaves alone and is helped by a DRIVER! We just don’t understand what his help should be? Either the driver provides resuscitation assistance, or dials and enters medicines. And the EMS resuscitator, according to this draft contract, undertakes to participate in the care of... postoperative patients.

The officials did not react in any way to our legal demand for an additional payment of at least 50% for the expanded volume of work of employees of understaffed teams; a number of other issues raised by the station employees and the trade union committee “Action” are not being resolved. Officials allow themselves to make publicly insulting comments about the Action trade union that are not based on verified facts. At the SSMP substations in Ufa, according to members of the trade union committee, administrative pressure on activists has resumed. The trade union committee of the MPRZ "Action" was not informed about the results of the implementation of paragraph 3 of the protocol of the Working meeting in the City Health Department of Ufa dated July 25, 2014, according to which, by September 1, 2014, the Administration of the SSMP of Ufa must report on the work done on the proposals put forward by the trade union "Action" .

The trade union committee has not been provided with the official results of the audit of the Chamber of Control and Accounts. At the same time, the administration of the Ufa SSMP claims that the Chamber allegedly orders a reduction in the salaries of drivers and resuscitators. Now drivers receive 12-13 thousand rubles, how much will they have left if they reduce it further? And how will they feed their families?

We have not received answers to a number of other questions. In particular, about the unfair distribution of incentive bonuses between the administration and field staff. In the response of the head of the Health Department of the Administration of the Civil Defense of the city of Ufa, Republic of Bashkortostan, Avzaletdinova A.R. as confirmation of the supposedly “high” salaries of ordinary medical workers, the salary of a doctor with a category and experience of over 7 years is compared with the salary of a car repairman. 55% of teams are understaffed Avzaletdinov A.R. in his answer he does not consider this to be a glaring fact, although according to the algorithms for providing resuscitation care approved by the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, at least 2 medical workers are needed (one carries out cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and the other is engaged in the selection and administration of drugs that increase the effectiveness of care). The head of the City Health Department considers the order of the head physician of the emergency medical service of Ufa No. 68 dated 02/08/2014, which states “to cancel the dispatch of specialized teams, except for psychiatric, on calls from linear ambulance teams”, to improve medical care for patients, and the word “cancel” in her response is interpreted how to “organize”. Probably, our problems and the problems of the population of Ufa are not interesting to the City Health Department, and they are not going to solve them there.
No one answered the question of whose fault it was that overtime was not paid at the Central Substation in 2013. Accordingly, the question of their return is not even considered. In 2013, according to the chief physician of the SSMP, funding was approximately 100 million rubles more. Why didn’t this have any effect on our salaries last year?

Our main requirements relate to:
1. Guaranteed increase in salaries of employees (doctors, paramedical and junior medical staff, drivers) when working at 1 pay rate to the target indicators of the “road map” in accordance with the objectives of Decree of the President of the Russian Federation No. 597 (as implemented, for example, in cities of the republic such as Salavat , Ishimbay, Sterlitamak).
To achieve this, in particular, take measures to ensure:
- restoration of the guaranteed nature of additional payments (payment of 100% of night hours from 22.00 to 06.00, an increasing coefficient for young specialists - 0.2 and an increasing coefficient especially difficult conditions labor of drivers);
— introduction of an additional payment for the expanded scope of work of medical workers as part of an understaffed mobile team according to the standards, based on an increasing factor of 0.5;
— introduction of an increasing coefficient of 0.5 when working part-time;
— payment of incentive bonuses for work intensity (in accordance with clause 1.1. Appendix No. 15 to the collective agreement);
— calculation and return Money employees who worked overtime and were not paid in 2013;
— return of incentive payments (intensity) not paid in 2014 (January, May).

2. Termination of discrimination in connection with trade union activities, transition of the administration of the SSMP of Ufa to the principles social partnership with PPO MPRZ “Action”; cancellation of illegally adopted changes to the collective agreement that worsen the working conditions of workers.

3. Providing full information on the issues raised by activists of the Ministry of Natural Resources “Action”, including the results of the audit of the Chamber of Control and Accounts of the Republic of Belarus.

At the moment, 12 ambulance workers have expressed their intention to take part in the hunger strike in writing, but for now 7 people will start it - 1 doctor, 2 paramedics and 4 nurses.

The trade union committee of the PPO MPRZ “Action” provides information and organizational support to the participants of the action, members of the trade union.

The promotion takes place at the address: Ufa, st. Rylskogo 24/2, apt. 16., where a live webcast and free access for media representatives will be organized.

Participants of the action will continue to fulfill their job responsibilities V work time. Daily medical examination will be organized.

We propose to resume conciliation procedures with the participation of representatives of the PPO “Action”, the administration of the Municipal Budgetary Healthcare Institution SSPM of the city of Ufa, the Health Department of the Administration of the Ufa City Administration of the Republic of Belarus, the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Belarus, the Territorial Fund of Compulsory Health Insurance of the Republic of Belarus.

And about. We ask the President of the Republic of Bashkortostan to take personal control of the situation.

Link to the webcast and other details will come later.

We invite media representatives to communicate with the participants of the action at 11.00 on September 9 at the specified address.

Participants of the hunger strike protest:

Tamara Bogdanova - cardiac team nurse

About the further struggle of emergency medical workers in Ufa #trade unionACTION

PRESS RELEASE #3
Ufa ambulance doctors are postponing the resumption of the protest campaign to the end of August. Decision of the trade union committee of the PPO MPRZ “Action” of the SSMP in Ufa.


On August 10, a meeting of the “primary” trade union committee of the MPRZ “Action” of the Ufa Emergency Medical Care Station was held, at which it was decided to postpone the start of the “Italian strike” (in the form of refusal to work above one pay rate) until September 2. In addition, the holding of rallies demanding an increase will also be postponed to the end of August - beginning of September. wages and eliminating violations of federal legislation in the emergency care system in the capital of Bashkortostan. The decision was made in connection with the beginning of a constructive dialogue between the trade union and the leadership of the SSMP in Ufa and the fulfillment of the first demands of the protesting doctors.

As previously reported, the start of the so-called was planned for August 11. “Italian strike” in the form of the refusal of several dozen employees of the mobile teams of the SSMP in Ufa to work at an additional one and a half times the rate. For this purpose, trade union activists collected individual applications from employees, which were supposed to be submitted centrally to the chief physician. However, due to the ongoing negotiation process with the participation of the employer, the city health department, the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Belarus, and the territorial Compulsory Medical Insurance Fund, the statements of the station administration were not transferred. In addition, a rally was planned for this week, for which two notifications about public events were submitted to the Ufa administration. Strangely, all the places specially designated for rallies in Ufa on August 13 and 14 were allegedly occupied by other public events, and therefore officials proposed holding a rally of doctors on the outskirts of the city. According to activists of the “Action” trade union, this is due to the desire of interested structures to prevent the protest campaign of health workers in defense of their rights. There are also signals that there is tacit pressure on the republican media in order to establish an information blockade around the struggle of ambulance workers for their rights.

At the same time, the authorities took the first steps to fulfill the demands of the Action trade union. The budget of the city of Ufa allocated 14 million rubles. to increase pay for night shifts to 100% and purchase special clothing. The Territorial Commission on Compulsory Medical Insurance Tariffs also decided to transfer the funding of the Ufa city emergency medical service to a per capita principle, which corresponds to our demand to abandon funding for ambulance work based on an arbitrarily established call plan. On behalf of the head of the republic, the station is being inspected by the Control and Accounts Chamber of the Republic of Belarus. At the conciliation commission with the participation of station officials, city and republican departments, instructions were distributed to study the issues raised by the Action trade union. The station administration officially recognized the legitimacy of the activities of the MPRZ “Action” in the SSMP in Ufa. Finally, at the end of last week, the administration of the SSMP in Tsfa decided to cancel decisions to move several trade union activists to other substations, which was considered by the trade union as a form of administrative pressure.

In connection with the above, on August 10, the trade union committee of the MPRZ “Action” decided to postpone the holding of rallies and collective refusal to work at one and a half times the rate until the end of August and the beginning of September.

From the open statement of the trade union committee of the MPRZ “Action” of the SSMP in Ufa:
“We are temporarily suspending the protest campaign, but do not refuse to resume it in two weeks if it turns out that the authorities and the employer do not intend to take seriously the rest of our legal demands - first of all, the introduction of increasing coefficients of 0.5 for work in understaffed teams and excess call volume. This requirement directly follows from the provisions Labor Code RF on the employee’s right to payment for an expanded amount of work.

Opposition gives birth to “ACTION”

Now they called and told the story. Yesterday at the Central Ambulance Substation of Ufa, a mechanic began to intimidate one of the drivers about the fact that he had joined the “Action” trade union.

Then our other activists attacked him, attacked him with strong words and warned that now, God forbid, he would be absent from his place of duty, or some other problem, reports would be drawn up on everything.

And after this incident, 7 more drivers joined the union. And they called the deputy chairman of the trade union committee, Tamara, almost in the first hour, demanding application forms to join Action.

So, in general, we need to fight back. No prosecutor's office guarantees the right of people to defend their rights if they themselves become cowards and allow the enemy to run wild.

Yesterday, the guys recorded on a tape recorder the speech of one of the bosses at a planning meeting against the trade union. About the fact that the alleged background is the raider takeover... of the Ufa ambulance station. I haven’t listened to the recording yet, so I can’t say whether there was one criminal offense (obstructing trade union activities by an official) or two, including libel.
But let's study it.

An “Italian strike” of nurses begins today in Sarapul (Udmurtia)

Today, April 2, the ten-day period of the “ultimatum” put forward by the nursing staff of three clinics of the Sarapul City Hospital No. 1, protesting against low wages and violations, has expired labor legislation.

Cockroaches started running around... The clearance of documents began in the Sarapul GB

The Minister of Health of Udmurtia V. Muzlov was urgently recalled from vacation, a commission headed by the Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic L. Chunaeva went to Sarapul, the accounting department of the Sarpul City Hospital No. 1 worked both days off. Apparently they burned papers...)

Congress of the trade union “Action”: more democracy and more “primary organizations”

On February 8-9, the second (extraordinary) congress of the Interregional Trade Union of Health Workers “Action” took place in Moscow. The congress was devoted, first of all, to organizational and personnel issues related to the significant growth in membership and the number of primary trade union organizations since the previous congress in October 2013. Delegates from 11 regions of the country, representing 30 primary organizations, took part in the congress.

Congress of the trade union of medical workers “Action” and a seminar on labor standards for local doctors

GBUZ Sverdlovsk region CSTO No. 1

Interregional Trade Union of Healthcare Workers

"ACTION"

E-mail: [email protected], phone: 89028764766

Judicial protection of the labor rights of health workers, rallies and pickets in dozens of regions, negotiations with regional ministries of health, the sensational and successful “Italian strike” of Izhevsk pediatricians - all this is the Interregional Trade Union of Health Workers “ACTION”.

HOW THE TRADE UNION WAS CREATED

The creation of the MPRZ “Action” was not an initiative of officials and politicians in power, but became a conscious decision of ordinary doctors - doctors, paramedics, nurses, medical students - to unite to competently and decisively defend their labor rights and professional interests.

In December 2012, Moscow and Izhevsk doctors held the founding conferences of the trade union, and in August 2013, the MPRZ “Action”

was registered as legal entity in the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation (OGRN No. 1137799016035).

In January 2014, the “Alternative” trade union joined the MPRZ “Action” in its entirety, which for several years has been doing a lot of work to protect housing and labor rights in the regional children’s clinical hospital No. 1 in Yekaterinburg. "Alternative" became one of the primary organizations of the Interregional Trade Union "Action".

NUMBER AND STRUCTURES

Today, a year and a half after its creation, MPRZ “Action” has its structures in 22 regions and cities of the country: from St. Petersburg to the Krasnoyarsk Territory, from the polar Severomorsk to the Stavropol Nevinnomyssk.

MPRZ “Action” consists of 45 primary and territorial organizations, uniting more than 2,000 people.

The largest organization is in Nevinnomyssk (here almost the entire medical trade union FNPR joined “Action”). A large number of primary workers of the MPRZ “Action” - in St. Petersburg, especially among ambulance workers. Almost every week a new primary organization of the trade union “Action” is created in one or another city, town, or region of the country.

MANAGEMENT:Elected as co-chairs of the MPRZ “Action” Ellina Ostanina, Izhevsk pediatrician, and Igor Malakhov, head of a large St. Petersburg territorial organization. Appointed as the organizing secretary of the trade union Andrey Konoval, organizer of successful civil campaigns on social issues at the regional and federal levels. Collective leadership is exercised by the Council of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Health "Action", which includes representatives of Moscow and 5 other regions. In the CSTO No. 1 of Yekaterinburg, the primary union of the trade union is headed by Nadezhda Eliseeva, Head of Clinical Laboratory.

MPRZ “Action” is a member of the Confederation of Labor of Russia (KTR), an influential and second largest trade union in the country. KTR is represented at the highest level, participating in the Trilateral Commission under the Government of the Russian Federation. Head of KTR Boris Kravchenko is a member of the Presidium of the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation.

WHAT HAVE WE ALREADY ACHIEVE?

One of the most successful campaigns of the MPRZ “Action” remains the “Italian strike” (i.e., work in strict accordance with labor standards on time) of district pediatricians in Izhevsk in the spring of 2013. Its result was the abolition of the “penalty” system and an increase in salaries for doctors in Udmurtia by 30-50%, "roll" inspections of the Russian Ministry of Health, which revealed violations of labor legislation in 47 constituent entities of the Russian Federation. At the end of 2013, the trade union initiated the “For Decent Medicine!” campaign in 25 regions. Street protests attracted the attention of federal and regional authorities to the problems of implementing Russian Presidential Decree No. 597 regarding increasing salaries for medical workers. But rallies and strikes are not the only methods of work of the Action trade union. This includes judicial protection, the conclusion of collective agreements, legislative initiatives, negotiations with officials, and the preparation of complaints to supervisory authorities. In each case, “Action” chooses the strategy that is optimal for a particular medical institution and most convenient for its employees. Where the “Action” trade union creates its own “primary” and takes active action, wages increase, the situation with labor organization standards improves, and the arbitrariness of the administration is limited. Thus, the CSTO trade union No. 1 “Alternative”, which was included in “Action”, judicial procedure canceled, in particular, illegal dismissal employee, achieved the cancellation of the reduction additional holidays behind harmful conditions labor.

WHY DO YOU NEED AN INDEPENDENT TRADE UNION From the Declaration of the MRPZ “Action” (adopted at the II Congress on February 8-9, 2014): …The “old” trade union structures, left over from former times, usually depend on the employer and officials, obediently agreeing regulations and decisions that worsen the situation of health workers. In the context of the introduction of an “effective contract” and “optimization”, transfer of control functions insurance business, the state’s refusal to clearly regulate labor relations the employee, in fact, is left alone with the arbitrariness of the administration. Only solidarity and the unification of doctors into an independent trade union can change the situation. CONTRIBUTIONS The II Congress of the trade union gave the primary members the right to choose - either to collect 1% of the salary for contributions or to determine the fixed amount of membership dues themselves. Almost all funds raised remain locally. With fixed contributions, very small amounts are transferred to the disposal of the central Council of the trade union (doctors - 20 rubles per person, nursing staff - 12 rubles, junior medical staff - 5 rubles). With non-fixed contributions - only 10% of the collected amount. STRATEGIC PLANS 1. Creation of a strong central legal service of the union, specializing in the field of health care. 2. Creation of MPRZ “Action” organizations in all regions and major cities. 3. Uniting and coordinating the efforts of health workers nationwide in protecting their labor and professional interests in the context of healthcare reform.

On the tasks of the trade union - co-chairman of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Health "Action" Ellina Ostanina: “Life itself has determined two main directions of our work: firstly, the fight for increasing wages, and secondly, for reducing the workload - official and “hidden” overtime. The third task - returning the prestige of the profession and the creative work of the health worker - largely depends on the success in solving the first two issues."

Website of the Confederation of Labor of Russia - http://www.ktr.su Group MPRZ "Action" - http://vk.com/prava_medrabotnikov (the official website of the trade union is under development).

The document was signed by the chairman of the Tver regional organization of the trade union of healthcare workers of the Russian Federation (part of the FNPR system). The author signals: "IN Lately On the territory of the Tver region, in medical institutions subordinate to the Ministry of Health of the Tver region, new, so-called alternative trade unions have appeared: “Alliance”, “Action”, Navalny’s trade union. These trade unions are registered as interregional organizations. The form of their work is aggressively accusatory in nature, with measures taken at the level of the prosecutor’s office and investigative authorities, while they do not take into account that such methods of activity suffer from the normal treatment process and the provision of medical care to citizens.”

Strange logic. If independent trade unions, defending the rights of patients and health workers, are forced to resort to appeals to supervisory authorities and authorities, then something is already wrong with the medical care system and what kind of “normal treatment process” are we talking about?

The strangeness of the “certificate” does not end there. As you know, there is no registered “Navalny interregional trade union”; there is only a website of the same name, through which state employees can complain about their low salaries. It is obvious that the opposition politician is mentioned in this analytical note along with the “Action” trade union actually operating in the Tver region in order to frighten regional officials with the specter of politicization of health workers. At the same time, anyone can easily find information that the Interregional Trade Union of Healthcare Workers “Action”, since its creation in 2013, has been part of the all-Russian association “Confederation of Labor of Russia” and has no relation to the “Navalny Trade Union” project launched last year. Moreover, several medical institutions in the Tver region have been working for several years primary organizations MPRZ “Action”, calmly resolving social and labor issues with the employer.

Yes - if the rights of doctors are grossly violated, we resort to the widest arsenal of their protection - from appeals to the courts and law enforcement agencies before the rallies and " Italian strikes" But this is normal: no negotiations with the employer can be successful if the union can only stand before him in the pose of a supplicant.

As for the Doctors' Alliance, as far as I know, its cells have not yet been created in the Tver region.

Most likely, the trigger for the production of this document was the fear of the expansion of the influence of the “Action” trade union in the Tver region. So, recently another of our primary organizations was created here - in the Novinki children's sanatorium. On my pages on social networks, I mentioned my meeting with the Novinok trade union activists during a recent trip to Tver and the problems that exist in the sanatorium:

“We identified the immediate tasks and outlined a strategy of action. Violations of labor rights, for example, included the refusal of the administration of a children's psychoneurological sanatorium to pay incentives for part-time work. One of the problems is the acute personnel shortage of nursing staff and educators. Children are sometimes put into two groups instead of three. Lack of everything. The management does not solve these problems. Children are suffering."

We are now preparing official appeals to the government of the Tver region and to the employer on these issues - probably, in the opinion of our opponents from the “old” trade union, this is also somehow very “aggressive”? People look for an alternative when they see that their problems are not solved and do not want to be solved.

“Interregional (alternative) trade unions are expanding their activities: they operate not only in the Tver region, but also in other regions Russian Federation. At the same time, in the media space they declared a real war on our industry trade union of healthcare workers of the Russian Federation, in every possible way belittling the work to protect rights medical workers, inventing various insinuations, calling the industry trade union a pocket trade, etc.,” complains the regional trade unionist.

Yes, we are expanding. At the moment, the “Action” trade union has its structures in 31 constituent entities of the Russian Federation, in 41 localities. And in the Tver region we will continue to create primary organizations - people will apply. By the way, we did not declare any war on the Trade Union of Healthcare Workers of the Russian Federation (PRZ RF). The scheme is just the opposite - as a rule, in response to our actions, the “old” trade union committees unite with the employer, and from the regional branches of the Russian Federation Labor Protection Act, accusations of “destructiveness”, etc. begin to be heard. This, for example, happened in Moscow, Udmurtia, Bashkiria, and most recently in the Kemerovo region. Naturally, we do not favor such “trade unions” who essentially occupy a strikebreaking position. But there were also opposite examples, when in some medical institutions (Komi Republic, Sverdlovsk region) our primary organizations successfully interact with trade union committees of the Russian Federation in protecting the rights of workers.

The general message of the note from the head of the Tver branch of the Russian Health Care Ministry, from my point of view, can be stated as follows: “Dear officials, we are losing authority among medical workers, our membership is declining, young people almost don’t come to us, hospital management is doing a poor job of “driving” employees into our trade union, please provide assistance, because we are so “constructive” and we don’t cause you problems. Otherwise, independent trade unions will come and won’t let you off the hook.”

Aimed at protecting the rights of students. These were the first attempts to raise the student movement in Ukraine. The union existed until 1998.

In 2008, when students decided to create a new independent trade union, it was decided to take the name “Direct Action” as a sign of continuing the traditions of youth resistance. Thus, the “Direct Action” of the 90s was called the “first generation”. Some activists from the first generation are now helping the union's activities.

In 2014, Direct Action was relaunched. The union continues to use the same registration data as before, but now often refers to the third generation of Direct Action.

Organizational goals[ | ]

Trade union is called independent, since he declares complete dissociation from any political parties, commercial structures, and is not funded by the administration of higher educational institutions.

The trade union charter states that members of the trade union cannot be people who adhere to racist , Nazi , sexist views or profess any chauvinist doctrine.

Activity [ | ]

2008-2009 [ | ]

Since its founding, the union has become a participant and initiator of several campaigns in defense of the rights of students and workers.

• July 2008. The first "Direct Action" action. As a sign of support for Rivne students who oppose increasing tuition fees, the trade union is organizing a picket at the Ministry of Education. The result is that the administration of Rivne universities agrees to negotiate with students regarding new prices.
• September 2008. The trade union is carrying out a number of activities against anti-student provisions new edition Law "On higher education" In particular, Direct Action opposes the introduction of forced labor for graduates. Activists enter into negotiations with officials of the Ministry of Education, and also hold pickets of the relevant committee of the Verkhovna Rada. The result is that committee members sharply criticize the bill, and the Ministry of Education removes the controversial points from the document.
• September-October 2008. Among other organizations, Direct Action is initiating a campaign against the adoption of the new Labor Code, which significantly narrows the rights employees. The campaign starts with a large banner “To the New Labor Ex” stretching out in the stands during a football match. Arsenal » - « Miner" The trade union takes part in press conferences, pickets of the relevant committee of the Verkhovna Rada, and information campaigns. The finale of the campaign was the holding of a large-scale concert on Khreshchatyk “Rock against the legalization of slavery.” The result is that deputies postponed consideration of the bill.
• November 8, 2008. Trade union activists take part in the Social March.
• February 2009. Members of “Direct Action” carry out raids on the capital’s hospitals, where they agitate doctors to create cells of independent trade unions and fight against the introduction of paid medicine.
• April 12, 2009. The trade union takes part in a social march under the slogan “Time to take what’s yours.” About 250 activists take part in the march. During the action, “Direct Action” calls on students to fight for free education, increased scholarships, and for direct self-government in universities.
• May 1, 2009. Alternative May Day demonstration. Direct Action, together with a number of other radical left organizations ( Revolutionary Confederation of Anarcho-Syndicalists , Marxist organization, “New Left”, “Social Alternative”, Anti-Fascist Action) and independent trade unions bring over 400 activists to the streets of Kyiv under social slogans.
• May-June 2009. Campaign against the introduction of paid services for students. Trade union activists are trying to persuade officials to negotiate. When this does not work out, Direct Action holds meetings with students of Kyiv universities, agitating to take to the streets with protests.
• June 4, 2009. Protest action outside the walls of the Cabinet of Ministers. Direct Action manages to bring over 150 students to the picket. During the action, a “fire” and several grade books were demonstratively burned. The result is that the students achieve that at an emergency meeting the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine cancels the resolution on the introduction of paid services.
• October 2009. Participation of “Direct Action” in the strike of students and teachers of the Institute. Boychuk. Protests under the Ministry of Education. The strike ended at the end of October with a loud blockade of the institute, which led to the resignation of the rector.
• November 17, 2009. Promotion “Student's Day. Break the Wall" - a protest against the repressive education system, an action of solidarity with German And Austrian striking students.

2010 [ | ]

• February 2010. Wave of discontent in Kiev-Mohyla Academy. At a mass gathering on February 5, trade union activists will initiate a referendum regarding latest decisions administration. The result is that the university rector is forced to make concessions, and a new compromise decision is made.
• March 11, 2010. After a rally of solidarity with Nestle workers, Direct Action activists are attacked by a group neo-Nazis. As a result of the incident, some far-right groups condemn the attack.
• Since March 2010 Direct Action launches a campaign against repression aimed at union activists and their relatives. Various trade union, youth, human rights organizations send letters of protest to Ukrainian government agencies and administration Kyiv National University named after Taras Shevchenko. On April 20-22, days of solidarity with the trade union are held, during which students, teachers and trade unions from different cities of Ukraine and Europe picket official institutions of the state of Ukraine.
• April 2010. International campaign against anti-union repression and the presence of secret services in universities. “Direct Action” gives a press conference where it reveals the facts of pressure SBU on activists. Actions of solidarity with the trade union are held in Germany, Greece , Portugal , Switzerland , Poland And Russia.
• April 21, 2010. Picket under the main control of the SBU. The result of the campaign is a temporary cessation of pressure on activists, a promise by the leadership of the SBU to carry out an official investigation.
• May 1, 2010. "Collective Action March" Trade union activists together with others left organizations bring half a thousand people to the streets to demonstrate.
• June 2010. The public responds to the murder of student Igor Indilo at the police station with a campaign against police brutality and the police state. Direct Action is actively involved in the campaign. The consequences are mass purges in the ranks of the police.
• June 2010. The fight against compact settlement in the dormitories of the Faculty of Physics of KNU named after. Shevchenko.
• September 1, 2010. Security of KNU named after. Shevchenko and the SBU prevent 30 trade union activists from holding a meeting with the rector of the university. As a result, a few hours later the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada, Volodymyr Lytvyn, proposes a meeting with Direct Action. A week later it was possible to begin negotiations with the leadership of the university.
• October 5, 2010. Simferopol students Tauride National University, supported by Direct Action, are the first to march in protest against Cabinet Resolution No. 796, again, as in 2009, aimed at introducing additional “paid services” in universities.
• October 12, 2010. "Direct Action" and Regional Initiatives Fund act as organizers of the All-Ukrainian protest against the commercialization of education (in particular, they raise the demand for the abolition of government decree No. 796 on “ paid services"), which takes place in 14 cities: Kyiv , Lvov , Uzhgorod And Simferopol , Kharkov , Smooth , Lugansk , Zhitomir , Khmelnitsky , Kamenets-Podilskyi , Kirovograd , Ivano-Frankivsk , Sumac , Lutsk. The poet and writer expresses his solidarity with the students Sergey Zhadan. A mass march to the Cabinet of Ministers and the Presidential Administration takes place in the capital. Despite intimidation from university administrations, in total up to 20,000 students take part in the protests; in three cities - Lviv, Kiev and Uzhgorod - the number of protest participants exceeds a thousand, and in Lviv it reaches 7 thousand. Ukrainian student protests, synchronized with the international initiative “Global Wave for Free Education”, have an international resonance. On the eve of the protest, the authorities disseminate information about the cancellation of the scandalous resolution, but in reality it turns out that only a few of its most odious points have been canceled.
• October 22, 2010. “Direct Action” supports the action of the Polish left at the walls of the Sejm for legalization labor migrants V Poland.
• November 11, 2010. The trade union is holding a “Student Offensive” action. A number of other Ukrainian cities declared their support and held actions (14 in total). In Kyiv, a march was held under the Ministry of Education, under which the demands of students and teachers about further development education of Ukraine.

Protest against the commercialization of education in Khmelnitsky. Direct Action activists on the roof of the Department of Education and Science of the Khmelnytsky region.

2011 [ | ]

• January 31, 2011. "Direct Action" together with the Foundation for Regional Initiatives and the social movement " Vidsich» are starting an all-Ukrainian campaign “Against the degradation of education”. The campaign is directed against the new bill “On Higher Education”, a reduction in government orders by 42%, and the commercialization of education. On this day, rallies took place in Khmelnitsky, Donetsk, Odessa, Zhitomir, Zaporozhye, Kharkov, Kyiv. The result of the actions was the cancellation of two bills.
• February 14, 2011. Trade union activists with the Street University and la REF (Revolution Fractale) hold a solidarity action in Paris with group "War".
• February 28, 2011. The second all-Ukrainian action within the framework of the campaign “Against the degradation of education.” Students, teachers, schoolchildren and their parents took to the streets in Donetsk, Khmelnitsky, Simferopol. In Kyiv, more than 300 students took to the streets. Despite the fact that the action was announced as non-partisan, activists from the Svoboda party, the Social Nationalist Assembly and other far-right organizations appeared at the action, chanting and unfurling anti-Semitic slogans and posters. By pushing aside the students and taking a place under parliamentary committees, far-right provocateurs provoked a brawl. After the action on Kontraktovaya Square, about a dozen participants in the “alternative” action attacked several trade union activists, including girls. A bystander was also injured.
• March 15, 2011. “Direct Action” together with “Children of Crisis” is conducting Operation “Opacik” on the International Day against Police Brutality. Participants in the operation distributed a brochure among passers-by, which explained how to behave when meeting with the police.
• March 22, 2011. Trade union activists take part in protests by education workers.
• March 26, 2011. “Direct Action” is holding an action within the framework of international campaign"Spring of resistance". Activists put their demands on three large metropolitan universities. In addition, after the action, the First All-Ukrainian Congress of the Direct Action trade union was held. The congress was attended by activists from all regions of Ukraine, as well as foreign guests from Russia, Germany, Hungary, and England. Representatives of the “First Generation” spoke to those present, the activities of the trade union for two and a half years of existence were presented, guests made reports on the situation in their cities and countries, a lecture was held with a discussion on the technical aspects of the activities of the trade union and the student struggle.
• March 29, 2011. “Direct Action” is holding an action against the rise in prices for dormitories at KNU. T. Shevchenko. About 150 university students take part in the action with the support of students from other capital universities. The action was also supported by students of the Parisian Sorbonne.
• May 1, 2011. Direct Action takes part in May Day demonstration"Collective Action March".
• May 9, 2011. In Kyiv, trade union activists distributed leaflets on the topic modern manifestations fascism and countering it.
• May 25, 2011. The third all-Ukrainian action “Against the degradation of education” in which students and teachers took part Kyiv , Simferopol , Ivano-Frankivsk , Odessa , Zhytomyr , Khmelnitsky , Donetsk. The poet and writer once again expresses his solidarity with students Sergey Zhadan.
• September 22-23, 2011. In contrast to the forum of education ministers of Europe and the post-Soviet space, taking place in Kiev, Direct Action is holding a student counter-forum with the participation of activists from various regions of Ukraine, as well as from the UK, Germany, the Czech Republic, Belarus, Russia, and Georgia, to voice demands for universal free education , counteracting commercialization and combating the real causes of xenophobia. The counter-forum program includes speeches, discussions, and an art project. Speaking to activists Michael Burawoy, the president International Sociological Association. However, the police are trying to disrupt the event: on the first day, four students were detained (photos of the detention are posted by international media), on the second day, Berkut keeps the counter-forum participants in a cordon for about two hours before allowing them to march.

Trade union projects[ | ]

On the basis of the trade union there is a permanent self-educational project “Free School” ( "Vilna school") . Within the framework of the project they carry out seminars and trainings on natural And humanities, practical acquisition of skills. The self-educational project operates in line with libertarian pedagogy - without the authoritarianism of teachers and methods of coercion.

Direct Action publishes a newspaper of the same name. The publication covers the activities of the trade union, Foreign experience, history of the student movement, theory of the liberation movement, countercultural resistance. The newspaper is distributed free of charge in a number of capital and regional universities.

The “26 Frame” film club is also active, where screenings of socially critical films are held, and after viewing there is a discussion.

The radio “Direct Wave” operates on the union’s website.

Notes [ | ]

1. “Direct action” sounds cautionary. The student union of the far left is extremely aggressive (unavailable link)“Mirror of the Week” No. 8 (8) November 26 - December 2, 1994 (Russian)
2. Lutsk students gave Yulia Tymoshenko some Vaselinova. PHOTO Archived June 6, 2009. - Volinsky news 06/04/2009 (Ukrainian)
3. Students prepared a motuzka for Tymoshenko (unavailable link)- Observer 06/02/2009 (Ukrainian)
4. Students of the Kiev university launched a strike against kerivnitstva - TSN 10/22/2009 (Ukrainian)
5. Archived from the original on July 26, 2011. - Novinar 10/29/2009 (Ukrainian)
6. Students' Day was celebrated with a protest with pyrotechnics. PHOTO - Observer 11/17/2009 (Russian)
7. Nazis against trade union solidarity Archival copy dated December 23, 2010 at Wayback Machine- Chronicle of self-defense 03/12/2010 (Ukrainian)
8. SBU repressions against students (Video)- INTV 04/08/2010 (Ukrainian)
9. A protest action took place in Kyiv against the presence of the SBU in universities - UNIAN 04/21/2010 (Ukrainian)
10. An anti-capitalism rally is taking place in the center of Kiev - Correspondent 05/01/2010 (Ukrainian)
11. Not a police state. + PHOTO, VIDEO Archived December 2, 2010. - Infoporn 06/11/2010 (Ukrainian)
12. "kym_mentam_postavyly_ul’tymatum_z_pryvodu_smert_studenta Kiev cops were given an ultimatum to bring about the death of a student (unavailable link)- Infoporn 06/01/2010 (Ukrainian)
13. Students acquired “improved” conditions in the villages Archival copy dated January 5, 2016 at Wayback Machine- Liva Prava 06/23/2010 (Ukrainian)
14. “Direct Action” was destroyed by parliament (unavailable link)- Chronicle of self-defense 09/01/2010 (Ukrainian)
15. Simferopol against 796: provincial protest of national significance Archival copy dated October 22, 2010 at Wayback Machine - Commons/Spilne 10/14/2010 (Russian)
16. Sergiy Zhadan supported the student protest Archived on June 19, 2013. - Direct action 10/11/2010 (Ukrainian)
17. Kiev held an action against the commercialization of lighting Archived copy dated September 13, 2017 at Wayback Machine(Selection of photos and sending from ZMI) - Chronicle of self-defense 10/12/2010 (Ukrainian)
18. Birthday of the extra-parliamentary opposition Archival copy dated December 15, 2010 at Wayback Machine- Liva on the right 10/14/2010 (Russian)
19. Lviv: 7 thousand people turned out for student protest Archival copy dated September 13, 2017 at Wayback Machine- Chronicle of self-defense 10/12/2010 (Ukrainian)
20. Report: Day of Action in the Ukraine (October 12th) - International Student Movement 10/14/2010 (English)
21. Ukraine: Students march against introduction of Education fees - In Defense of Marxism 10/19/2010 (English)
22. The order was conceived by the students to decide 796? - Foundation of Regional Initiatives 10/15/2010 (Ukrainian)
23. Zhodna people are not illegal - Indymedia Calling 10/19/2010 (Ukrainian)
24. Kiev: students are advancing, Minosviti in obloz (PHOTO and VIDEO) (unavailable link)- Chronicle of self-defense 11/12/2010 (Ukrainian)
25. An independent student vocational school has been created in Khmelnytskyi (unavailable link)- Direct action 11/22/2010 (Ukrainian)