The message emerging from the discussion was clear and unequivocal: there can be no reconstruction without trade unions.

Ukraine’s recovery is not solely a national challenge. It is a defining European industrial, social and geopolitical issue and a successful recovery will be decisive for peace and democracy in Europe

The country holds strategic importance for Europe’s industrial future, from raw materials and energy to manufacturing, metallurgy, engineering and critical supply chains. At the same time, Ukraine is set to play an increasing role in emerging and strategic sectors, including defence production, advanced manufacturing and new technologies such as drones.

Against this backdrop, the debate is not only about rebuilding infrastructure, but about shaping the kind of economy that will emerge. A central question remains: will workers and their trade unions will have a genuine voice in this process?

Ukrainian trade unions affiliated to industriAll Europe highlighted the severe impact of the war on workers and their organisations. Widespread destruction, displacement, labour shortages and the loss of union members have placed enormous strain on trade union structures. Despite these challenges, trade unions continue to operate and defend workers’ rights under extremely difficult conditions.

A key concern raised during the meeting was the direction of ongoing labour law reforms and proposed legislation on social dialogue. Ukrainian union representatives warned that these initiatives risk weakening collective bargaining and undermining trade union rights at a time when workers are already bearing the heavy burden of war.

Participants stressed that reconstruction, EU accession and industrial recovery must go hand in hand with strong labour rights, collective bargaining and effective social dialogue. 

For industriAll Europe, Ukraine’s reconstruction is not only a national issue, it is a European industrial, social and geopolitical issue.

Representatives from the European Commission and the ILO supported this view and reiterated that proper bipartite and tripartite social dialogue must be ensured as a cornerstone of Ukraine’s recovery process.

The discussion underlined that European support and investment in Ukraine must be conditional on the full involvement of representative trade unions, and industriAll Europe will continue to raise this demand vis-à-vis the European Union institutions. Democratic participation, fair wages, decent working conditions and strong union structures are essential to building a sustainable and inclusive economy.

In this context, a new Union-to-Union supported project was launched, focusing on strengthening trade union capacity, organising and ensuring a just transition. This initiative aims to equip Ukrainian unions with the tools needed to actively shape the country’s reconstruction and defend workers’ interests. IndustriAll Europe will actively support and participate in the project.

As Ukraine looks towards recovery and EU integration, the role of trade unions will be decisive. A fair and resilient reconstruction can only be achieved by placing workers and their representatives at the heart of the process.