You're reading: Ukrainian trade unions criticize law on increase in social standards

A number of activists of Ukraine's trade unions have criticized the law on raising social standards, which foresees an increase in minimum pensions and wages.

Having analyzed the latest laws on social standards, we saw that they are incomplete," the deputy head of the central committee of trade unions and workers of the Pension Fund of Ukraine, Mykola Pavelko, said at a press conference in Kyiv on December 7.

According to estimates by the trade union’s experts, after the law takes force, over six million pensioners will have their pensions raised, but in some cases pensions may be lowered.

The head of the People’s Trade Union, the national trade union of non-governmental organizations, Viktor Yavorsky, said that the state doesn’t have enough funds to fully implement the law.

At the same time, the head of the all-Ukrainian Sotsial Trade Union, Vasyl Piddubny, said that the law is incomplete.

"They should have asked the employers if they will be able to raise wages," he said.

At the same time, the press conference participants said they support the government’s position concerning the implementation of this law.

"We support the government’s proposals about not allowing lowering social standards and pensions," said Petro Petrychenko, the head of the national representative body of the national trade unions and professional associations, and secretary general of the National Confederation of Trade Unions of Ukraine.