EuropaWorld 31/8/2001 ILO Worries Over Mass Unemployment in Ukraine

A decade after their country gained independence, tens of millions of Ukrainians continue to work without pay, lack access to adequate health coverage and avoid seeking help from government agencies when faced by economic or social crises, according to a pair of new surveys by the International Labour Organisation (ILO).

The United Nations agency's sampling of more than 1,800 factories found that many workers are put on "administrative leave" for many months, or are uncompensated despite showing up for work. And although Ukraine is one of the most populous countries in Europe, with 50 million people, the population has shrunk by nearly two million due largely to a drop in life expectancy among men.

The survey also discovered a feature unique to Ukraine's economy: women account for a majority of all those who are employed, even though employment has fallen by a third since 1991.

Meanwhile, another ILO survey of 8,200 adults has found that more than 80 per cent of Ukrainians lack access to adequate health services, one in every seven works in conditions described as 'very unsafe,' while more than 40 per cent of workers have not been paid in the previous three months. On average, adults thought that real unemployment in the country was about 40 per cent, or more than three times the official rate, and a majority expected it to rise.

The ILO warns the employment situation in Ukraine could deteriorate further. It is worried about the consequences. Most jobless workers do not receive unemployment benefits and even those that do, get very small amounts. The agency says it is essential for the welfare of workers and their families that benefit levels should be raised and made more widely available.

"The labour market situation in Ukraine is desperate, contributing to the reduced life expectancy in the country and the flow of people into central and western Europe," ILO says. "Many millions of workers are suffering acutely. Their plight deserves more attention than it has received."