From February 20 to 23, 2002 Kiev National University named after Shevchenko hosted the XIII Congress of the Eurasian Association of University Trade Union Organizations (EATUOU).
Representatives of 34 universities from Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Russia, Ukraine and Transnistria took part in the work of the congress in Kiev. The leaders of the Ukrainian trade unions took part in the congress: deputy chairman of the Central Committee of Trade Unions of Ukraine G. Trukhanov, deputy chairman of the Kiev City Council of Trade Unions S. Sazonova, chairman of the Council of the trade union of education and science in Kiev A. Sviridov.
By the beginning of the congress, a collection was published dedicated to the 15th anniversary of the EATUOU, in which the historical outline of the activities of the association of trade union organizations of universities over a decade and a half of its existence was presented. The collection was presented to the participants of the meeting.
In the days of the congress, the delegation of the EATUOU was received by the mayor of Kiev, A. Omelchenko. This meeting was covered in details by the television channels of Ukraine.
The following questions were addressed at the congress:
– participation in the work of the Eurasian Association of Universities;
– report on the work of the EATUOU Council for 1999-2001;
– elections to the EATUOU;
– familiarization with the work of the trade-union organization of the Taras Shevchenko Kiev National University;
– holding a round table and decision making.
The Congress was held at the same time as the 9th Congress of the Eurasian Association of Universities, which was represented by the rectors of classical universities of the CIS.
On the first day of work, representatives of the trade union organizations of the universities took part in the plenary session of the 9th Congress of the Eurasian Association of Universities, where the President of the Eurasian Association of Universities Academician V. Sadovnichy and the rectors of the universities from capitals of the CIS countries made reports. At the plenary session, the President of EATUOU, I. Kotlobovsky, also made a speech. He spoke about the history of the EATUOU, the results of the activities and the upcoming plans, stressing that the association allows trade union leaders to use the experience of their colleagues, since education reform and changes in legislation in different countries are uneven. For the EATUOU, constructive cooperation with the management of the universities to improve the socio-economic situation of students and staff is of great significance.
On the first day of the work of the Congress, the following reports were heard: a report on the work of the EATUOU Council, which was delivered by the Chairman of the UTU of Moscow State University I. Kotlobovsky, the speeches of the chairmen of trade unions of Kiev University V. Tyvykh, Belarusian State University and St. Petersburg University.
On the second day of the congress, a meeting was held in the House of the Federation of Trade Unions with the management of the trade unions of the city of Kiev, which were addressed by the Deputy Chairman of the Kiev City Council of Trade Unions S. Sazonov and the Chairman of the Council of the Trade Union of Education and Science of Kiev A. Sviridov. On the same day, a round table was held at which topical issues of trade union work were discussed. The following participants spoke at the round table: V. Galstyan (Armenia), M. Mukasheva (Kazakhstan), V. Bodnar (Transnistria), F. Gandalipov (Ufa), I. Kerget (Grodno).
The XIII Congress of the EATUOU approved the work of the EATUOU Presidium for the reporting period. Decisions were made:
– to improve mutual assistance in social programs of universities;
– add information on the recreation units of classical universities to the EATUOU website and coordinate the organization of recreation at partner universities;
– instruct the student section to develop, by May 1, 2002, a plan of specific activities within the EATUOU;
– to prepare by the autumn of 2002 a collection on trade union organizations and the social sphere of the classical universities of the CIS;
– to recommend the leadership of the EATUOU to conduct studies of the chairmen of the trade union organizations of Russian universities on the issues of modern legislation;
– to take part in the preparation of the conference of the CIS countries “Universities and Society”, to be held in March 2003.
