President Viktor Yushchenko held a meeting today with leaders of trade unions at Trade Unions House, president's press office reported.
Opening the meeting the President noted that trade unions should become more active in helping the government to shape social, economic, budgetary and humanitarian policy.
Yushchenko reminded that two years ago with the corresponding Decree he had established a National trilateral social-economic council aimed at arranging an effective dialogue between state authorities and trade unions. Besides serving a platform for discussion the council provides mechanisms of decision taking and implementation. Regarding that the President urged to appoint council’s staff members so that the council could work effectively. On the first meeting the council is to discuss main issues of social policy such as protection of vulnerable levels of society, legalization of wages, protection of protection of labor, clearing off wages debts, which currently amount to 700 million hryvnyas, etc.
The President also stressed that he shall insist on urgent adoption of the Law of Ukraine “On basic foundations of social dialogue in Ukraine”. According to Yushchenko that law would clarify all sides of social dialogue rights and provide trade unions with opportunity to be an active part of the dialogue.
