[mobglob-discuss] FW: Solidarity appeal from independent union in Lvov, Ukraine

[Andy Lehrer]

(please forward)

for more info on the Committee for a Workers International see
http://www.worldsocialist-cwi.org

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Lvov independent union fights bosses victimisation
International solidarity needed!

Members of the Lvov branch of  ŒWorkers Resistance¹ (Committee for a Workers
International in the Ukraine) are working in solidarity with a branch of the
independent union, VOST, at Lvov Ceramic Plant Ltd (LKZ). The union is
conducting a heroic struggle against the management of the enterprise, who
are planning to fire all the union activists.
Workers¹ Resistance comrades have helped to draft an appeal to the district
court calling for a halt to the management¹s victimisation of union
activists. The VOST appeal for international support for the Lvov Ceramic
Plant workers. 
Please send protest letters to the Lviv Ceramic Plant:
Fax number: 380322676344 and/or by mail: Lviv City Office of Public
Prosecutor, 16 Gorodotska str., Lviv, Ukraine.
Please send copies of your messages by email to Workers¹ Resistance to:
 skm_lviv at mail.ru , workres at hotmail.com

Below is an English translation of the Lvov Ceramic Plant workers¹ appeal to
the district court:

To: The local court of Zaliznychniy district, Lvov city

From: The All-Ukrainian Association of Solidarity Trade Unions,
Lvov Ceramic Plant Ltd
65, 13 Syayvo str.,
Lvov,
Ukraine  
E.S. Sikora

PETITION

The independent trade union, the All-Ukrainian Association of Solidarity
Trade Unions (VOST) at Lvov Ceramic Plant Ltd (LKZ) was established in the
enterprise during 1999. Since the establishment of this union organization
the enterprise¹s administration, in particular, the Chairman of the Board of
Directors, M. Bek, have persecuted the VOST members of LKZ.

For example, on 20 June 2001, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of LKZ,
M. Bek, during an executive meeting, gave instructions to shop and unit
superintendents to sack from the enterprise, for any reason [pretext], all
members of the independent union as well as those workers who sympathize
with the union. In our opinion, this is an infringement of Articles 34, 36,
64 of the Ukrainian Constitution, Articles 2, 234 of the Labor Code of
Ukraine and Article 5 of Ukrainian law [concerning], "About trade unions;
their rights and guarantees of their activity".

Without agreement with the union committee of VOST of LKZ, at different
times since 1999, the leader and members of the union, E.M. Sikora, E.S.
Stegnitskiy, Y.T. Yushchishin, K.I. Doroshenko, A.I. Paskevych, I.M.
Shevchuk, M.I. Maternatska, and O.P. Kolodiy, were sacked. This is an
infringement of Articles 43, 252 of the Labor Code of Ukraine and Article 39
of the Ukrainian law, "About trade unions; their rights and guarantees of
their activity".

At the present time, the administration of LKZ has appealed to the court for
the eviction of sacked workers/members of [the] independent union [names
provided]. This is an infringement of Article 43 of  the Ukrainian
Constitution.

The application by the independent union for office space for union work has
not been dealth with positively. At the same time, the committee of the
'official' union branch has use of well-funded and comfortable premises. In
our opinion, this is an infringement of Article 249 of the Labor Code of
Ukraine and Articles 10, 42 of the Ukrainian law, "About trade unions; their
rights and guarantees of their activity".

In connection with this, based on Article 55 of the Ukrainian Constitution,
Article 265 of the Labor Code of Ukraine and Articles 42, 46 of the
Ukrainian law, "About trade unions; their rights and guarantees of their
activity" we appeal to the court to bring to criminal responsibility [to
begin criminal proceedings against]  the Chairman of the Board of Directors
of LKZ M.Bek in accordance with Article 73 of the Criminal code of Ukraine.
ENDS