On 3 June, in Geneva, during the 114th Session of the International Labour Conference of the International Labour Organization (ILO), Oleksandr Kamenets, a representative of Ukrainian employers, delivered a statement at the Conference’s plenary sitting.
In his address, the delegate of the employers’ organizations of Ukraine drew the attention of the international community to the challenges Ukrainian business continues to face amid the full-scale aggression of the Russian Federation.
It was emphasized that the resilience of Ukraine’s economy is now an important factor in the economic and social stability of the whole of Europe. Despite constant missile attacks, the destruction of infrastructure, labour shortages and large-scale population migration, Ukrainian enterprises continue to operate, create jobs and ensure the economic resilience of the state.
Special attention was paid to the need to strengthen the effectiveness of international sanctions against the aggressor state. The Ukrainian side stressed the importance of preventing the circumvention of sanctions and stopping the supply to Russia of critical technologies used to continue the war against Ukraine.
The address also underlined the importance of support from international partners for Ukraine’s post-war economic recovery, investment attraction, and the integration of Ukrainian business into global production and logistics chains.
The delegate paid particular attention to Ukraine’s preparations for accession to the European Union. In this context, he expressed hope for the ILO’s continued support in harmonizing Ukrainian labour legislation and developing social dialogue in line with European and international labour standards.
The representative of Ukrainian employers expressed gratitude to the International Labour Organization, the International Labour Office and international partners for implementing projects in support of Ukraine, as well as for the continuous monitoring of the implementation of ILO decisions concerning the consequences of Russian aggression for the world of work, employment and social protection.
A separate part of the address focused on the Russian Federation’s violation of the provisions of ILO Convention No. 182 concerning the prohibition and immediate action for the elimination of the worst forms of child labour. Attention was drawn to the systematic involvement of children and adolescents in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine in militarized education, military training and the activities of paramilitary structures. The Ukrainian side called on the ILO to provide these facts with a proper international legal assessment.
Concluding his address, the representative of Ukrainian employers emphasized that Ukraine needs continued international solidarity, support for economic recovery, and the creation of conditions for the return of millions of Ukrainians to productive work in a free and independent state.
The participation of the Ukrainian side in the work of the International Labour Conference is traditionally ensured on a tripartite basis, with the involvement of representatives of the government, trade unions and employers’ organizations. The Ukrainian League of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs and the Joint Representative Body of Employers’ Organizations of Ukraine continue to represent the interests of national business at the international level, advocating the position of Ukrainian employers on economic recovery, the development of social dialogue and Ukraine’s integration into the European economic area.
The 114th Session of the International Labour Conference is taking place in Geneva with the participation of delegations of governments, trade unions and employers’ organizations from 187 ILO Member States.
