UAH 5.07 million of unlawfully unpaid or withheld funds were returned to employees of Ukrzaliznytsia – members of the Trade Union of Railway and Transport Builders of Ukraine – following the work of the trade union’s legal labour inspection in 2023.
The labour rights and interests of more than 2.4 thousand trade union members were protected.
In particular, with the direct involvement and legal support of labour inspectors, three unlawfully dismissed employees were reinstated, including two in court. Forty-six unlawful orders were cancelled, including those on unjustified disciplinary action and deprivation of bonus payments, and eight employees were reinstated after being illegally transferred to another job.
Last year, the union’s legal labour inspectors inspected 190 units, identified 1,124 violations of employees’ labour rights, drew up 131 inspection reports and made 97 requests for the elimination of violations.
The most common violations were underpayment for actual hours worked, non-payment of extra pay for working at night and in hazardous conditions, as well as non-compliance with holiday schedules and late payment of holiday pay.
In 2023, the lawyers of the Trade Union Council initiated 80 individual lawsuits filed by trade unionists regarding the failure of employers to pay health benefits, and provided full legal support for these cases, from preliminary consultations to representing trade union members in court. The same practice is applied by all levels of the trade union.
In addition, more than 3.8 thousand consultations were provided to trade union members, and 109 written appeals were considered, most of which were resolved positively. The legal inspectors note that timely consultations, including through the trade union’s online reception, often help prevent or promptly resolve violations of labour law by the administration.
More details will be provided in future publications.
