Ukrainian and Swedish Unionists Exchange Experience
Under the Trade Union Lifeline (TUL) initiative, LI continues to facilitate workshops with international unionists. On June 29, 2026, another event in this series brought together over 35 young Ukrainian activists and international trade union leaders to exchange experiences and discuss strengthening internal union democracy. This time, LI and TUL welcomed Leelou Lewis and Yousra El Mourabit, Student Ombudsman of the Swedish Fackförbundet ST.
Leelou and Yousra delivered a thorough presentation on their experiences with youth involvement in the labor movement and the protection of their rights, along with corresponding practical cases. Speakers shared their union experience, shed light on youth involvement in the Swedish labor movement, and outlined practical mechanisms the union uses to foster this process.
Participants were very appreciative of the speaker’s openness about existing problems, their work to resolve them, and their keen interest in the Ukrainian experience. From the Ukrainian side, youth activists from Lviv and Chernivtsi National Universities presented their work on student and youth involvement in the labor movement.
The event highlighted shared strengths and concluded with a mutual commitment to further exchange of experience and cooperation between Ukrainian and Swedish unionists.
The next TUL workshop followed shortly after on July 2, 2026, welcoming Jonas Eriksson, International Secretary of the Swedish Elektrikerna union. 25 union activists participated in the session, which focused on ongoing efforts to empower Ukrainian unionists.
After welcome words from Leonid Stoikov and Kateryna Voloshko, Jonas stunned the participants with a story about his union journey from an electrician and rank-and-file activist to youth leader and international secretary. Jonas shared his experience in local union work and in international union cooperation, as well as his work in other countries, including work with migrant workers. His insights on migrant workers’ issues, especially in the construction sector, were particularly well received by participants, especially in the context of the long-anticipated reconstruction of Ukraine and increased discussions about foreign workers’ involvement in it.
It was particularly interesting for the participants to see that issues regarding migrants’ involvement in Ukraine, raised by some in the public space, are not unique. Attempts to manipulate public opinion on these issues are not exclusive to any country. Jonas’s experience in organizing migrant workers and thus strengthening his union’s capacity to ensure the well-being of its members provided an experience-based perspective on the corresponding issues discussed in Ukraine.
