10 November 2021

...[L]eaked documents show that the UK government via its development aid arm (UK Aid) and the UK embassy in Kiev is funding consultants to assist the Ukrainian Ministry of Economy in selling its neo-liberal market reforms to the Ukrainian people...

The Ukrainian government...has introduced reforms of the Ukrainian labour market to weaken the influence of workers and their unions. It has further proposed changes to the trade union law aiming to take away properties and assets of the unions. Together these changes would significantly reduce the voice of workers...The trade unions have been successful in blocking the proposals. Experts of the ILO have been critical of the changes and the European Commission equally had critical comments...

The Ukrainian government has now employed a consultancy Abt-associates to turn the tide of public opinion which according to its own analysis is predominately against the reforms...