TUESWU&GEW: Project of the First Trade Union Partnership Launched

On March 14, 2025, a press conference was held in Kyiv to launch the project of the first trade union partnership between the Trade Union of Education and Science Workers of Ukraine (TUESWU) and the German Education Union (GEW).   

The event was attended by representatives of trade unions and the government, experts, and the educational community. 

This project is a new tool for strengthening the role of trade unions in the educational process. It is a meaningful response to the request of educators to strengthen their voice in the transformation of the educational sector, as well as a step towards a more meaningful social dialogue in the country.

In January 2025, an official presentation of the project took place in Berlin, Germany with the participation of Svenja Schulze, Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development, Maike Finnern, GEW President, and Olha Chabaniuk, Deputy President of the Trade Union of Education and Science Workers of Ukraine.

Multipliers of change that will strengthen the trade union movement

One of the practical results of the partnership will be the training of 150 trade union multipliers – active educators who will be trained not only to defend the rights of trade union members but also to create a new culture of trade union activism. This is an investment in the future of the trade union movement as a modern institution capable of engaging in a dialogue on equal terms with the government and employers.

According to project manager Olha Chabaniuk, it also covers strategic areas: labor rights protection, involvement of young people and women in the trade union movement, strengthening international cooperation, and socially just transformation of the labor sphere.

Serhii Romaniuk, Deputy President of the Trade Union, emphasized that the key of education is a teacher, and he spoke about the Trade Union's activities to defend the rights and guarantees of teachers in terms of salaries. 

«...If we do not change the attitude to teachers in society, do not create conditions for their development and protection, we will lose them. This project is an opportunity to start a public dialogue about the value of a teacher, and the trade union is the driving force here» said Serhii Romaniuk.

During the presentation of the project, Nick Strauss, National Treasurer, GEW National Executive Member, conveyed greetings from GEW President Maike Finneran and emphasized:

«This partnership is a significant step towards strengthening cooperation between educators in Germany and Ukraine. This is an important support in view of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. Today, Ukraine needs solidarity, and quality education is the basis for the future of both countries».

He emphasized that education is key to rebuilding the state, as it is the only way to keep people in the country, create proper working conditions and prospects.

«We are impressed by your resilience. As a trade union, we are concerned about the restrictions on the rights of workers and trade unions in times of war. However, trade unions are the foundation of democracy, and so our goal is to strengthen their role and support the voice of educators,» said Nick Strauss.

Social dialogue is a common goal for the Trade Union and the Ministry of Education and Science

The Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine has expressed its readiness to support the initiative. According to Andriy Stashkiv,  Deputy Minister of Education, the Trade Union is an important partner in the development of the new sectoral agreement.

«Social dialogue with our trade unions is important. We take into account their suggestions and comments and are already working together on a new Agreement. This project will highlight current issues and engage more teachers, educators, and lecturers in public discussion at the planned events,» he said.

Andriy Stashkiv also spoke about the work of the Ministry of Education in implementing important initiatives and directions of the country's educational policy. 

During the presentation of the project, the teachers who took part in the event also drew attention to the challenges that need to be addressed jointly. One of them is the level of remuneration of teachers, especially young professionals, employees of preschool education institutions and kindergarten teachers.

Lilia Legenka, a teacher at the kindergarten in Korsun-Shevchenkivskyi, noted that the salaries of teachers, particularly young ones, remain miserable. It also discourages logopedists and defectologists from staying in the profession, despite the heavy workload and dedication. 

Representatives of student trade union organizations emphasized student challenges and the importance of supporting young people to stay in the country and work for its recovery and reconstruction. 

The educators once again stressed that social dialogue supported by trade unions should include specific steps to raise the status of teachers and support young people and scientists - not only through regulations, but also through fair pay. In this process, a trade union is not just an organization for protecting labor rights, but an active participant in education reforms.

Trade union in European integration processes 

The project also has a broader context - European integration. Daria Andriunina, Director of the Employment Department of the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine, emphasized: «Social dialogue is the basis of economic development in the EU. And no labor reform is possible without the participation of the parties to the social dialogue. Ukraine has committed itself to strengthening this dialogue, so it is important that all parties and partners are involved in this process». 

Daria Andriunina also noted that the Department already has a successful experience of cooperation with trade unions in developing reporting documents for the European institutions and invited colleagues to join the development of the Employment Strategy, as further implementation of this document will depend on joint steps and vision of all partners of social dialogue. 

At the same time, the German representatives drew attention to the fact that Ukrainian trade unions are not yet sufficiently involved in the European integration process. This is the area of growth that the partners will also work on.

According to Markus Koll, Head of Cooperation, Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Ukraine, Ukrainian trade unions are well aware of the problems of employees, although they are currently unable to defend the rights of educators 100% (to go on strikes or protests) due to legislative restrictions caused by the war. He noted that German colleagues have partnerships with Ukrainian trade unions, and this project is intended to significantly strengthen trade union work. 

Vitaliy Dudin, project coordinator of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation (FES) Office in Ukraine, also expressed the readiness of FES to support this initiative, as it is important to invest in education so that Ukraine develops on a par with other countries and social and humanitarian standards of living in the country do not deteriorate. 

Wrapping up the event, Olha Chabaniuk, TUESWU Deputy President and project manager, emphasized the profound significance of this partnership:

«For us, this project is not just an international initiative, it is a focal point that helps strengthen the trade union movement in Ukraine, form a new generation of active, motivated, and conscious young educators. This is a chance to make the voice of teachers stronger and more influential in the process of change in education». 

She highlighted that the understanding of social partners and the support of colleagues from Germany was an important manifestation of solidarity for the Ukrainian Education Trade Union in a difficult period when Ukraine is in war.

«We are sincerely grateful to our partners from GEW, the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Development, and Sequa for their trust and support. This project inspires us to move forward, strengthen our dialogue with the government, and advocate for decent working conditions for every educator», said the project manager.

We believe that the first trade union partnership between Germany and Ukraine will open up new opportunities for the voice of Ukrainian teachers and the Trade Union to be not only heard but also influential la in shaping education policy, and for collaboration with the government to become systematic and effective! 

International Department