You're reading: Trade unions, Chornobyl cleanup workers, Afghan war vets ready to protest against new budget

Trade unions, Afghan War veterans and Chornobyl cleanup workers have declared they are ready to hold rallies in protest at the cutting of spending on their needs in the state budget 2013. 

“A meeting of Trade Unions heads is scheduled for today. I think there will be some collaborative solutions,” member of the Presidium of the Central Committee of the Trade Unions of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine Svitlana Poliakova said at a press conference on Monday.

According to her, state budget for 2013 foresees about Hr 2.5 billion for science funding, with the minimum being Hr 3.2 billion. These funds will not be enough even to pay salaries in full, not to mention the utility bills, as well as the financing of research and development, she said.

She said the academy would now have to reduce its staff by 8% or to send all employees on unpaid leave for two-and-a-half months.

In turn, President of the Chornobyl Union of Ukraine all-Ukrainian public organization Yuriy Andreyev also reported that the state budget foresees cuts in funds for all programs for Chornobyl cleanup workers. He noted that a memorandum on cooperation with the Cabinet of Ministers signed in the autumn of 2011 envisages consultations with the public organizations on important documents, including the law on state budget.

“But this was not done, everything was done secretly,” he said.

President of the Ukrainian Union of Unions of Veterans of Afghanistan Serhiy Chervonopysky also expressed dissatisfaction with adopted budget, which considerably cuts financing for providing Afghan war veterans with housing.

The leaders of both public organizations said they were ready to support the rallies of the trade unions.