Report Sergei Oleynik, chairman of the Ukrainian Union of Workers in Ukraine and abroad at the third International Congress on migration, held in Ukraine from 22 to 25.06.2010.

Protecting the rights and interests of migrant workers in the framework of the Council for citizens who under the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine.

Dear members of Congress!

I welcome all of you and use this opportunity to thank you for the invitation to participate in this large and significant event.
In my speech I would like to acquaint you with some aspects of work aimed at ensuring effective management of migration processes, enhancing social and legal protection of citizens of Ukraine who are working abroad and within the framework of the Council of the migration of citizens of Ukraine, which formed at Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine.
January 20, 2010 in Ukraine, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine № 1942, under which created the Council on migration of citizens of Ukraine under the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, as a permanent consultative and advisory body. In it put the tasks associated with the formation and implementation of state policy in the sphere of social protection of migrant workers – citizens of Ukraine.
Prior to joining the Council of the migration of citizens of Ukraine attracted representatives from central authorities, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, authorized the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on Human Rights, the nationwide association of employers and trade unions, public organizations of migrant workers.
I want to focus your attention on the fact that the establishment of this Council is a significant step taken by the state to bring together the efforts of government and representatives of the Ukrainian community, which represents the interests of migrant workers around the world and brings together more than 10,000 organizations of migrant workers who are in 150 countries.
Personally, I consider it as an argument, which demonstrates the maturity of attitudes and willingness of the executive branch of Ukraine to constructive dialogue and focused interaction with the broader public who are direct participants in migration processes.
As deputy chairman of the Council of the migration of citizens of Ukraine under the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine and the president of the Presidium of the Ukrainian Union of Workers in Ukraine and abroad, I along with my colleagues – representatives of organizations of migrant workers have a very difficult and responsible mission – Ukrainian Government to bring all suggestions, opinions, ideas and current projects of the Ukrainian community, which now works abroad.
          But not everything that we want to find support for our colleagues. For one thing to criticize and talk about how bad in Ukraine, etc., to take steps towards integration of Ukraine into European and world society. Just bear negative about Ukraine. Let us first sleeves and lapel will make migrant who came to work in another country, found people who could help him make at least the first steps in a foreign country. Provide legal support to find oneself together when confronted with a problem, and so on. Make this man not only earned money but also returned home from active citizenship.
          To do this in all countries where migrants work, we started to labor organizations, migrant workers. Our union aims to social protection regardless of nationality, country of residence, religion or political party affiliation.
          Officially in the world there are 121 million migrant workers. Not officially – to multiply 10. Labour migrants are and will be. In countries where there were processes of migration – has always taken place and economic growth. I am Ukrainian and I would very much like to first of all, our nation and the Ukrainian diaspora in the world first hand support extended Pole or Russian, Chinese or Puertorikantsyu. Migrant labor in any one of the nation the same problem. So let us together build a trade union workers.

In its union of Ukrainian migrant workers in Ukraine and abroad, together with public organizations of migrant workers try to unite the efforts of public and work towards creating the conditions for the unimpeded exercise of rights, freedoms and lawful interests of migrant workers, the use of their intellectual and labor building within the principles of protection of national interests of Ukraine.
Now, I would say a few words about labor migration itself, its origins, manifestations and significance for Ukraine.
Labour migration – a combination of conventional economic mechanism needs and labor supply in the functioning of the international labor market.
Ukraine’s participation in this process depends on a combination of external factors of labor migration from countries, employers and internal factors of socio-economic development of Ukraine. External causes of labor migration of citizens of Ukraine supported an attractive and ample labor market of Western vyschim than average in Ukraine, the level of salary. Moreover, demographic factors show a steady increase in demand in developed countries for employment of foreigners.
Among the internal causes of labor migration of Ukrainian citizens – pent-up demand for domestic work, low wages in the national labor market.
The gap in wages between Ukraine and neighboring European countries of the EU zone is 5-10 times. According to Eurostat minimum wage is in European countries: Ireland – Euro 1462, France – 1321, UK – 1148, Bulgaria – 112, Bohemia – 329, Poland – 334. Thus, wages are one motivation for Ukrainian seek employment outside Ukraine (even in the near abroad).

Analysis of vacancies that employers give to the State Employment Service show that in the vast majority of them – the wages offered below subsistence level and only five per cent of vacancies were listed with wages of more than 1000 USD.
Losses due to outflow of Economy of Ukraine abroad and highly professional staff working age gradually create conditions to increase labor market in Ukraine the number of unskilled workers from Asia and Africa.
According to various expert estimates abroad works out 3 to 4 million citizens of Ukraine. A study in 2008 sampling survey on population migration of citizens of Ukraine, it was found that over the last three years abroad for employment vyyizdyly almost 1.5 million Ukrainian people.
Among possible ways of promoting migrant workers from Ukraine is the most significant self-employment and use of the services of travel agencies. This way in the international labor market contributes significantly shadow migration. Only a small portion of migrant workers annually pratsevlashtovuyetsya abroad with the assistance of businesses that provide mediation services for employment abroad, according to the signed labor contracts.
Using mediation services appointed agencies, citizens of Ukraine have the opportunity to have legal employment abroad and get a reliable social protection by the foreign employer. The data of the businesses that provide services on mediation in employment abroad formed the administrative records of the number of citizens of Ukraine who are employed abroad (Form 1-TM). Today, in Ukraine, recorded 810 business entities, licensed by Ministry of mediation in employment abroad. With the above intermediate structures in 2009 were employed 74.5 thousand citizens of Ukraine.
Politics in the regulation of labor migration is seen as part of public policy in employment and should primarily be settled through the formation of modern, mobile domestic labor market.
The main problematic issues in the context of active participation of Ukraine in the process of international labor market is the need to strengthen their social protection and creating conditions for pension and social security. Implementation of these measures is related, as the conclusion of bilateral contractual obligations because of the observance of existing rules of international instruments, which are Council of Europe Convention, the International Labor Organization to protect the rights of migrant workers.
Social and legal protection of migrant workers is provided by concluding bilateral and Ukraine’s accession to the multilateral international treaty documents.
At present Ukraine is a party to the European Convention on Legal Status of Migrant Workers, the Agreement on cooperation in labor migration and social protection of migrant workers, the Protocol to the said Agreement, which governs cross-border migration processes within the CIS. In 2008, under the heads of government summit of CIS leaders signed the Convention on the Legal Status of Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families of the CIS. Determined basic Convention define the fundamental rights of migrant workers of the CIS.
Ukraine is party to 12 bilateral treaties in the field of employment – from Azerbaijan, Belarus, Armenia, Republic of China, Latvia, Lithuania, Great Socialist People’s Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Moldova, Poland, the Republic of Portugal, the Russian Federation, Switzerland.
Signed seven agreements in social security: from Bulgaria, the Republic of Estonia, Spain, Latvia, Lithuania, Czech Republic, Slovak Republic, the Republic of Portugal.
Ukraine is party to 14 bilateral and a multilateral treaty within the CIS on pensions.
Create conditions and mechanisms of facilitating the return to Ukraine citizens of Ukraine provided resettlement program people from the Ukrainian Foreign, returning to Ukraine until 2010, which was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine of 17 November 2004 number 1573. According to the abovementioned regulations coordinator of the Programme has established the State Committee for Nationalities and Religions.
As part of the Program is to create conditions for the return of Ukrainian foreign, of their reception and resettlement, as well as promoting housing.
 The priorities of this program is: moving people from the Ukrainian Foreign returning to Ukraine, taking into account the demographic situation in different regions of Ukraine, the availability of jobs, promote the construction of private housing at their own expense and credits.
In addition, today worked out a new version of the draft Law of Ukraine “On amending the Law of Ukraine” On Legal Status of Foreign Ukrainian, which included provisions relating to rights of persons appointed on employment in Ukraine. Specifically, the bill provides that a person who has acquired the status of foreign and Ukrainian is in Ukraine, has the right to work in enterprises, institutions and organizations or engage in other labor activities on the grounds and the procedure established for the citizens of Ukraine.
So everything listed above makes it clear that much
done in Ukraine to ensure social guarantees of our migrant workers. But we must also understand that no program can not protect a person if she did not want. Before we put all the serious task of making the Council, the social dialogue with government authorities for resolution of the institutions of labor migration.
So we again urge his countrymen to cooperate with all countries and expect them fruitful suggestions.

S. Oleynik

The Chairman of the All-Ukrainian trade union of migrant Workers
in Ukraine and abroad