International Collective Bargaining Training Empowers Ukrainian Unionists

From April 23 to 25, over 30 shop stewards, union federation leadership, and rank-and-file unionists affiliated with the Federation of Trade Unions of Ukraine (FPU) representing diverse sectors gathered in the city of Ivano-Frankivsk for the training on collective negotiations conducted under the program “Trade Unions Fighting Inequality and Reconstructing Peace and Democracy in Ukraine.”  

Following a two-and-a-half-month course supported by the Swedish organization Union to Union, which focused on the nuances of the Ukrainian collective bargaining system, this training served as a deep dive into the “Norwegian Model” and its potential application within the Ukrainian context. 

Norwegian experts Hans-Kristian Stenestø and Cathrine Ertsås from the Norwegian Union of Municipal and General Employees extensively shared their insights on the Norwegian system, labor laws, and collective agreements; conflict-resolution strategies and the functioning of the Technical Calculation Committee for wage settlements; and the stages of negotiation and techniques for identifying and countering manipulation.

Ukrainian participants had the chance to share their experiences and case studies from their professional and union backgrounds, as bargaining cultures differ across sectors in Ukraine. Q&A sessions were lively as Ukrainian union leaders sought to identify similarities between the Ukrainian and Norwegian bargaining models and to further explore the fundamentals of social dialogue in Norway. 

A highlight of the event was a role-play session facilitated by both our Ukrainian and Norwegian trainers. Participants were presented with three complex cases, requiring them to step into the shoes of either union or employer representatives. This exercise was invaluable, forcing teams to develop holistic negotiation strategies and refine their internal coordination and task delegation.

Overall, participants provided positive feedback about the training, citing the knowledge and new networks that they can leverage for the union movement.