President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy has appointed the current head of the Federation of Trade Unions of Ukraine, Serhiy Byzov, as the head of the National Tripartite Social and Economic Council (NTSEC). The corresponding decree was published on the website of the Head of State, UNN reports.
"In accordance with Article 13 of the Law of Ukraine 'On Social Dialogue in Ukraine', I hereby decree: To appoint Serhiy Serhiyovych Byzov as the Chairman of the National Tripartite Social and Economic Council," the President of Ukraine's decree states.
Serhiy Byzov noted that this decision by the head of state is intended to strengthen the dialogue between the state, employers, and trade unions.
"This is a responsible mission – to ensure a genuine dialogue between the state, employers, and trade unions at a time when Ukraine needs unity and fair decisions," he wrote on his Facebook page.
Context
Just a year ago, the Federation of Trade Unions of Ukraine was effectively isolated from communication with the government and parliament, and the instruments for influencing the country's socio-economic policy were blocked. As Serhiy Byzov explained in an interview, the situation began to change after the renewal of the FTUU leadership and the definition of a clear strategy aimed at returning a voice and real influence to the trade unions regarding decisions that directly affect workers and their working conditions.
The key tool for restoring influence was the launch of a full-fledged social dialogue in a tripartite format: between the state, employers, and employees. It is this mechanism that allows for the discussion of problems and their rapid conversion into solutions.
The co-chair of the NTSEC is the Minister of Economy, Environment, and Agriculture of Ukraine, Oleksiy Sobolev, and his deputy is the Minister of Social Policy, Family, and Unity of Ukraine, Denys Ulyutin. Another co-chair of the NTSEC representing employers is the head of the Association of Employers' Organizations of Ukraine, Anatoliy Kinakh.
"This platform has not functioned in our country for 9 years. Yet, it is one of the conditions for our accession to the EU. The European Union requires Ukraine to have an effective platform for social dialogue in place," noted Serhiy Byzov.